Bending Legends
by Pete the Rock
Summary: BendWaveShipper.Katara disappears while trying to get Aang away from the Fire Nation and winds up in the arms of Team Magma. Can she help Ash and his friends before Teams Aqua and Magma devastate this world with Groudon and Kyogre?
1. Out of the Fire, Into the Magma

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or Avatar: The Last Airbender

* * *

Summary: Katara disappears while trying to get Aang away from the Fire Nation and winds up in the arms of Team Magma. BendWaveShipper (Ash/Katara)

_**Bending Legends**_

**Chapter 1: Out of the Fire, Into the Magma**

* * *

This was a situation of panic. Two kids were surrounded by cells of black robes with black cymbals for heads. One was a bald boy with blue arrow tattoos over his head and hands. He wore a yellow shirt under orange shoulder cape and yellow pants. The other was a brunette tanned girl in blue. Under her feet was water acting like a puppet strung to her. The water was like tentacles of an octopus. "You've got nowhere to run, Avatar," a different female tried to call the boy to surrender. The boy glared over to the first girl. What could he do? He was flanked in every position. The girl solemnly shot a look bad, realizing there was not much of a choice.

"I'm sorry, Katara," he expressed his understanding situation. He stomped the ground which protruded emerald crystals which formed a tent of protection. The so-called Avatar began to meditate where the tattoos started to glow. Soon enough, he came out of the tent, glowing brightly from head to toe. A marvelous sight. That's when one of the robes pointed to the glow. Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning shot out. ZAP! The bolt hit the glow. The bolt hit the boy. Knocked out from the shock, the boy began to fall from grace, panicked by Katara.

"AANG!" she teared in a loud scream. Falling, Aang was unaware that he could hit the ground. Katara pushed the water, knocking all the robes to the floor before he ran out and caught Aang. There, the damage was too much. Was Aang dead? More robes came after the two while Katara believed Aang was gone. That's when a grown man with white hair and beard stepped up, guarding the kids. This should be interesting.

"Go, now!" he gruffly ordered Katara.

"Iroh!"

"I'll keep them busy. Hurry! Get the Avatar to safety!" To Iroh, Aang was alive. Complying, Katara ran off with Aang in her arms. Tears still shedding for what may be a hopeless cause, Katara had to put Iroh's faith to believe he was alive. In a clearance, Katara laid Aang onto her shoulder and commanded water to spread over the wound. She prayed that Aang wasn't dead.

"Ka...ta...ra?" he weakly groaned. Relief. Aang was alive. That's when a large white bison swooped out of nowhere and landed by the two. Off came a tanned brunette male in blue as well.

"Aang!" he called. "Katara!" Katara handed Aang to the other male.

"We need to get outta here, now!" she roared for them to evacuate the cave. The boy loaded the Avatar onto the bison. In time too...because the floor beneath them gave way. Katara had no footing and fell down the opened hole. "Sokka!" She reached out but her arm wasn't able to reach Sokka. She fell and disappeared.

"Katara!" It was no use. He boarded the bison and flew away. Sokka looked back, realizing he was helpless. Katara was in her reach for the moment and it slipped through without warning. He glanced at Aang. The burn from that lightning strike told him that Aang did all he could to protect Katara. He wished he did the same. Was Katara dead? Hours after the fate-turning plunge, we find Katara in a posh room. She was beginning to stir. In front of her were two men in red uniforms. One was a redhead who appeared to be mid-30's. The other couldn't be described well due to the hood over his head. Katara became enraged and tried to fight her way free of the ropes containing her arms, legs and stomach.

"Settle down, now," the redhead tried to reason. "We just pulled you out of the water and prevented you from drowning." Katara wasn't in the mood to talk. Was it him? Was it the uniforms? Was it that she was now far from Aang?

"There's no way I'm confessing to the Fire Nation!" she yelled out. The two were a little more confused than startled.

"What for do you mean? Who is this Fire Nation?" Katara thought it was an act.

"Don't fool me for one minute! It's your fault that we're all in this war!" A war? To the redhead, the baffling details continued to scratch his head. The hooded one bent down and whispered something.

"Maxie, since she doesn't have any Pokémon and that's not the same uniform, she's apparently not a member of Team Aqua," he quietly pondered.

"Perhaps, but maybe it's more troubling since she's accusing us of this Fire Nation alliance," Maxie offered a possible explanation. He turned back to Katara to try and get info across. "My beliefs is that you're not from this time period, let alone from this world." That made Katara stop her struggle a bit. She wanted to know what he meant. "Right now, you're nowhere close to where any 'Fire Nation' will give you trouble. At this moment, you're in safe hands of Team Magma. It might take you awhile to realize that wherever you're from, you're no longer there. It might be best for you to cooperate at this time." Katara got the clue. She was no longer within reach of anyone from the Fire Nation. That was the only good news at this point in time. However, she was no longer with Aang, Sokka or any of her friends. Or were they?

"Was there anyone else you rescued?" she asked. Maxie dipped his head.

"You were the only one we found. If you have friends here, they're probably over at a nearby island recovering." Katara wasn't satisfied. If they were there, they wouldn't have hesitated to get her out. "However, we may need your help in this. There may be a way to return you to your friends but we won't know until everything is sorted out." A chance to be back with Aang...but she didn't want to help from her scowl. Maxie took the message. "I see. Then, we'll have you locked up in our chamber until everything settles." More hooded members filed in and untied Katara from the chair. They kept a close eye on their captive. Katara had already gone through a lot. Being locked up and away from Aang was not settling well with her. She could only imagine what these members of Team Magma were going to do. She could be tortured. She could be raped. She could die. Sitting on the steel bench, she began to cry. It was a lot, maybe too much for the young woman who could manipulate water. For an hour, she stained her face with the worried tears of what could be happening to her friends. She lied on the bench, virtually falling asleep. Her mind wandered back to her friends.

"Aang...Sokka, my brother..." Make that friends _and_ family. "Gran-Gran...Toph...Momo...Appa..." A lot of names. The Team Magma guard overheard Katara's tearful listing.

"Plenty of folks back home you miss, huh?" the guard wondered. Katara was not sure she wanted to hear a member of Magma so soon. Her reaction became amazed that someone was paying attention to her, but tossed her head aside. It was a member of Magma.

"Like you care about what happens to a member of the Southern Water Tribe?" That must be her birthplace. The guard retracted his statement, trying not to offend their prisoner. That's when another guard came in...with news.

"Hey, have you heard?" the new Magma asked. "Maxie and Tabitha reeled in four new Febas from the ocean." New Febas? "One of them is in possession of a Pikachu." This seemed to startle the first guard. Did he know this Pikachu?

"Anything else?" the first wondered.

"Yeah, I'm taking over your position. Your shift's over." The first guard nodded to the expiration of his work and headed off. Now the new guard stood by Katara's cell. "Man, first we capture Kyogre to bait Team Aqua, then that girl and now four more kids. We may need to stuff one in here with her." Someone's sharing the room with Katara. Suddenly...

"Let me go!" a young man shouted. Sounded like this one was a handful.

"You need to cooperate!" another member of Magma scolded. Katara wasn't able to see what was going on, it was about to be close. The guard opened the door where another threw in a raven-haired young man in a blue sweat-tee and jeans. A red baseball cap was also tossed in as well as a yellow mouse with a tail shaped like a lightning bolt. Slamming the door shut, Katara had a boy and mouse to deal with, and neither of them were happy with the way they were treated. The young man growled, upset that he was tossed and imprisoned, not knowing he had a roommate.

"Well, this sucks," he murmured. "I hope May, Max and Brock are okay."

("I'm sure they are, Ash,") his mouse squeaked. Ash stood there, wondering what to do. Katara saw the mouse's tail and began to tremble. That lightning bolt... It was a bolt of lightning that struck Aang and nearly killed him.

"We gotta do something to stop Team Aqua and Team Magma from controlling those legendary Pokémon. Who knows what those powers can do in the wrong hands." Legendary Pokémon? Before more thoughts into the possibilities of what Aqua and Magma would do...

"Get that away from me!" Katara shouted. Ash and the mouse covered their ears when Katara shouted. Katara feared that she would be struck with the same lightning that nailed Aang. Ash and his mouse turned to the roommate, unsure what the heck that was about. The mouse stepped toward the girl but that heightened her fear. That forced the mouse to retreat.

"You have something against Pikachu?" Katara curled herself. Not good.

"Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!" Ash and Pikachu were more confused than ever. How could they explain to her when she's developed a fear of lightning? Talk about a complication.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED... (It's also my Golden Birthday today. I turn 27 on the 27th. Thanks to all who read my stories as I continue to write them.)


	2. SubFactoring Escape

_Chapter 2: Sub-Factoring Escape

* * *

_

A fear of lightning. Katara was going through an episode practically hours after she had that fight to bail Aang from the Fire Nation. The fact that Pikachu was in the presence was not helping the matter. For Ash, this was déjà vu. 'She reminds me of Kay, back at her boat show and her fear of being shocked by her Raichu,' he thought back. 'Does she have the same fear of electric Pokémon?' Telling Pikachu to stay, Ash approached Katara. "Is it because Pikachu is electric that you don't want him to approach?" Katara noticed that Ash was closer by the volume of his voice. She looked to Pikachu, hanging back in the corner. "Pikachu doesn't hurt anyone unless I order it." Either that was a way to establish friendship or a bluff for a sneak attack? It still alerted her attention.

"It doesn't shoot lightning?" she quivered. Ash lofted a nod, trying to ease the concern of injury. Ash waived Pikachu to approach, relighting the fear in Katara. Ash, telling his mouse that it was okay, continued to waive Pikachu on over. Finally, he's in arms reach. Katara slowly...slowly reached out to Pikachu, nerves flaring on end.

("I won't hurt you,") Pikachu promised. Katara froze her arm. Fear's high. She resumed and finally palmed the head softly. She began to scratch the ears, making Pikachu rather excited. She let out a huge relieving sigh.

"I'm sorry about that." She had all the reasons. She pulled Pikachu onto her lap and began to pet him. "It's just...everything happening within moments of each other." Then her face saddened... Her thoughts had to reach back to Aang. Pikachu noticed the heartbreak that fell onto her. "Aang..." Breaking down, she grasped Pikachu into a hug. Ash mentioned that Pikachu was friendly. This was a bit much. To Ash, it was a deep remorse she was going through.

"Not everything was promising, was it?" he wondered. Katara shook no to it.

"It's something you wouldn't understand." From a different world, Ash probably wouldn't.

"Not the first time, today. I'm not sure why Team Magma would hold Kyogre and vice versa with Team Aqua holding Groudon." Okay, not the first thing not to make sense to him today. Katara wanted to believe him but first came Pikachu.

"Sorry about that, little guy. I was just remembering the good times with Aang." That name didn't ring any bells with Pikachu or Ash.

"Aang?" It was time for Katara to fess her story.

"You see, I came from a place where benders reside." Aang, benders... Ash needed some clearance from Katara's home world. "You see, long ago back at my world, there were four nations based off the four elements: water, earth, fire and air. There has been histories of conflict in which a special bender that shows himself, time and time again. He is the Avatar, one who controls all four elements. However, 100 years ago, he was Aang, a child monk from the Southern Air Temple. Before the Fire Nation made landfall the few years later, the elder monks had determined Aang was the Avatar. He would be going under special training to become the full-fledged Avatar and combat Sozin's army. But, it never came. Aang ran away and when he and his bison, Appa, were about to drown, Aang used his air bending skills to freeze himself." Suspended animation...So Aang was a lot older than he appeared.

"Sounds like a lot for someone of his age to accomplish." A lot? That's all Ash could say? "I don't think I would've blamed him for running." Katara nodded to agree.

"Well, 100 years later, my brother, Sokka, and I found Aang in that glacier of ice he encased himself in. When we learned that he was the Avatar, Gran-Gran suggested that Sokka and I guide Aang to learn the different elements...all while dodging the Fire Nation and Prince Zuko. Along the journey, we befriended Toph, a blind earth bender whose skills disguise her disability. There were other people we came across...and then it happened." It was the moment when she and Aang were attacked. Immediately, Ash feared that Aang was greatly injured or worse.

"Is he alright?" Katara shook her head, not a good sign.

"That witch, Azula." Azula? "We were ambushed by the Dai Li, an elite group of earth benders in Ba Sing Se. Azula cohort them to attack us and shot a bolt of lightning at Aang." To Ash, it became clear to why Katara was in fear of Pikachu. "So, seeing Pikachu's tail instantly made me afraid."

"I understand. Wish I had a different Pokémon to present than Pikachu." For Ash, his time of story had arrived. "Here I am, traveling to Mossdeep City with my friends and all of a sudden, Team Rocket attacks as usual and tries to take Pikachu. Just backfired a bit and all of us were overboard." That would make it disasters on both ends. Both watched the door on the cue of squeaking noises. It was Magma with some food and drinks for their prisoners.

"Lunch!" he grumbled. He set the trays down where Pikachu dove into the food. He was hungry. That's when Katara thought about the water. Her element.

"Pikachu, leave the water for me," she wished. Pikachu was a bit stumped with her request. He stepped back and exposed the water to Katara.

"Why the water?" Ash wondered. Katara stuck her hand out where the water rested. It wasn't going anywhere...or was it? The water began to float into the air as it elevated to her. "You've gotta be kidding." Katara eyed the keyhole and guided the water to it by the wave of her arm. She had to know about the tumblers in the lock. She twittered her fingers, seeing if there was a way to break the lock. A minute later, there was a clang. Thinking that it was lock, Katara "pulled" the water from the lock as Ash grabbed the bars and pulled. The door opened. It worked.

"Don't mess with Katara of the Southern Water Tribe." All of them escaped...only to be met with Magmas. This wasn't good.

"Stop where you are!" one Magma ordered. Katara chose to ignore the order. She "pushed" the water into the Magmas, bashing them to the floor. Ash was becoming more awed with every motion she lashed out. Some of the hoods rose back up.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. Pikachu fired a jolt of lightning out, striking the men. They collapsed where Ash had to tell Katara that it's all in a stun, just in case she feared being struck herself. "They're fine. It's gonna take a little while." Ash, then, came to one of the Magmas, finding a key ring. Bingo! "Hang on, guys. We're coming." They continued through the insides, trying to find the rest. Their parading was about to be noticed...not by a Magma.

"Is someone there?" a young boy shouted in panic. Ash recognized the voice instantly.

"Max?" That door. Ash scanned each of the 15 keys on the ring. Why would someone need 15 keys when they're purpose may have been to guard the prisoners? Anyway, Ash found the key that fit the keyhole.

"Ash, thank goodness!" Ash unlocked the door where out popped a raven-haired boy wearing glasses in a green polo and brown shorts. He scurried out of the cell, thankful to be out of the cramping cell. "Man, how did you break out? I didn't think Team Magma would let someone loose." No, they wouldn't.

"You can thank Kat when we bail from this sub, Max." Kat?

"Kat?" Katara huffed in protest.

"We'll discuss later. Right now, there are a couple more we need to free." Max agreed. Katara chose to let this go for now and proceed with the rescue plan. They would soon hit a fork. Left? Right? Straight?

"This way!" Max guessed, heading to the right. Ash and Katara chose to go with Max's guess. It would be correct. "May? Brock!"

"In here!" another young female shouted. Max was happy to hear that noise coming from that door.

"May!" Ash snatched the key and unlocked the door. The brunette girl raced out and wrapped Max around her arms, wearing a red bandanna and shirt and black tight shorts.

"Max, they didn't hurt you, did they?" No but the way you're squeezing Max may be the hurt.

"I'm fine, May." Katara seemed a little nerved, catching Ash's attention.

"Fire Nation wore red, too?" he pondered. Katara nodded. "Keep in mind, different world." Noted.

"That's great that you're all back together," a male voice murmured. "Now how about me?" That wasn't far off...like next door. Ash followed the procedure.

"One second, Brock." The door was unlocked and out came a tanned spiked brunette man in a brown jacket and pants. He was glad to get out...but did a head count, noting the extra member.

"Who's she?" Not now, dude.

"Later, Brock. First, we need to get off the sub." Easier said than done. The five were cornered by more Magma members. That's when Katara spotted a water cooler filled halfway. Opportunity rose. She gave one huge yank, releasing the water and guiding it to her. A few of the Magmas saw it and became horrified.

"T-T-T-Tabitha!" one shockingly stuttered.

"Not now!" Tabitha growled. Yes, now. Taking advantage of the distraction, Katara swung her arms from side-to-side, smacking every member of Team Magma down. Brock, May and Max were shocked with Katara's display of water bending.

"Did you see that, Max?" May shuttered.

"I saw it," Max confirmed. "I'm not sure what it was." Ash remained composed since he saw it with his own and Pikachu's eyes.

"You don't want to hold that water bending back, do you?" Ash questioned. Not really. That gave Ash an idea. "Kat, you think you can push the water to make the sub surface?" Aha! Ash figured that the sub they were in was underwater. What better way to demonstrate the capacity of a skilled water bender than this?

"I'll give it a shot," she replied. Here went nothing! Closing her eyes, Katara focused on the water that surrounded the sub. She could feel the water on her fingertips. She looped her arms down to up. The floor shook violently, forcing the rest to the steel they walked on. Maxie was rocked right out of his swivel chair and knocked a blue ball from its pedestal. The sub began to rise to the surface. Once it splashed out of the water, the floors steadied themselves. Everyone got their legs on the ground. The air pressure inside began to loosen. Was it a sign? Max found a ladder that led to a door above where someone would turn to uncork the lid. A minute in working, Max popped open the top...but water wasn't rushing in. They surfaced.

"Guys, we're above the ocean!" Max called down. This was relief.

"Okay, guys, here's the plan," Brock plotted something. "May, you and Max take control of the helm. Ash you and...Kat get that blue orb Maxie has in his office. I'll try to find a way to release Kyogre to the ocean." All nodded but Katara wanted to correct Brock on something...like her name.

"Brock, just to be clear, the name is Katara," she insisted. Hey, he was just listening to Ash.

"I think Ash calls you that because it's easy to remember." That was easy for him to explain. Ash, Katara and Pikachu raced into the office, finding Maxie still knelt to the floor.

"What is the meaning of this?" he snarled. Ash just wanted to see how you're doing.

"Sorry, but we'll be taking the orb if you do mind," he mocked. Katara snagged the orb and tucked it in her robe.

"I got it," she snapped. Maxie wasn't ready to throw in the towel. He lunged but Katara was ready. She used water from a bucket and wrapped Maxie with it. Suddenly, she widened her palm. The water froze into ice, freezing and locking Maxie in place. Ash and Pikachu were in awe.

"Nice."

("She turns water to ice?") Pikachu gulped. ("That's amazing!") Right? Thanks to the teamwork. May and Max helped the Magmas onto a beach of a volcanic island. Thanks to Brock's intimidation on more of the red team, they were forced to remove and release a giant blue whale with red lined streaks like it was made out of a puzzle from the cage it was encased in. With all the water available, Katara froze all the members of Team Magma in their places. The giant blue whale watched, curious about who these humans were that helped break it free. Ash, Katara and Max met the beast wading from the shoreline.

"So, this is Kyogre," Max awed. Kyogre let out a huge wail in announcement. Katara was astounded to meet such a beast be humble to the little kid. But that's when she saw blood on leg. Not a lot, a small wound perhaps. She reacted rather fast on the notice.

"Hey, you're bleeding," she alerted. Max and Ash heard and saw the draining blood.

"Yeah, I tried to clot it up with some pressure and it worked for a little while. Guess it reopened while you raised the sub." She didn't expect that but she would bring a lesser expectancy. She guided some of the water from the ocean and wrapped it around Max's leg. What was she going to do, ice it? No, because the water began to close the wound like tape to paper, except cleaner and more closed. Everyone was shocked to see the injury be healed so fast.

"There we go." Like it was nothing? Ash got a little history about Katara being a water bender but this was fascinating to see.

"What _can't_ you do with your water bending skills?" he humbly mumbled. To his imagination, the sky was the only limit for Katara as far as her abilities with water are concerned. To Brock, this was an open invite to...this ought to be good. He's coming up to Katara.

"If your water skills can mend an injury like that, I need some of that too," he ordered. Katara scanned the body, but didn't find anything.

"Where's the injury?" she gulped. That's when Brock began to beg like a dog.

"My heart! I've been trying to get a girlfriend to love me and-" Max chose to shut him up buy yanking him away from Katara by ear.

"She heals injuries, not love sicknesses," he scorned. Ash and Katara couldn't understand what that whole exchange was about. As they were straightening out, Pikachu turned and found one more member of Team Magma. Great, they missed one. Ash and Katara heard Pikachu cry and turned to the last member.

"Well, at least I wasn't the one who had to tidy up this mess," he snickered before he tore his suit off. Was he Magma? He was a magenta-haired man in a red/black spandex suit. Ash and Pikachu were thrilled to see this new person, not an enemy.

"Lance!" Ash greeted over. Lance came down and saw Ash's troupe, but mostly to Katara who wondered about the relationship between him and Ash.

"So, you two had a run-in prior?" she questioned.

"We did, back at the Blackthorn City Gym where Ash battled Clair to earn his final badge for the Silver Conference," he explained. "However, I'm not the only one who sneaked into Team Magma's sub." There was another? Finding a female in the Team Magma hood, Lance removed and uncovered a redhead adult female with hair running down her back. Other than Katara, the kids were shocked with this new woman.

"She's from Team Aqua!" May recognized. A spy had been stripped of her incognito form. Despite being found out, she was smiling.

"You were all fools," she snickered. "I was planning on releasing Kyogre so that Archie would take control of it while we still had Groudon." It was a trick? Talk about deception. Now, Team Aqua had both Kyogre and Groudon. Was it true? Was it a bluff and Groudon was safe?

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. Water versus Aqua

_Chapter 3: Water versus Aqua (Awkward...)

* * *

_

An ugly scene was unfolding. Capturing Team Magma, Ash, Brock, Katara, Lance, Max, May and Pikachu found a spy amongst the hostiles, a member of Team Aqua who planned for someone to release the legendary blue whale, Kyogre. Now that it had been released, Team Aqua's plans were proceeding as scheduled. "How could we have fallen into their trap like that?" Brock wondered in disbelief. That's when footsteps alerted everyone. They turned to men wearing blue bandannas with black and white striped ragged fatigues and blue pants.

"Team Aqua..." Maxie groaned. No way this was getting any better. That's when a burly man in a black suit stepped forward. His goatee was a sign that this was a problem.

"Archie!" the captured female Aqua member cried out.

"How fitting for you, Maxie," Archie mocked the iced leader. "You're more disorganized than I am and now that's costing you dearly." The kids were not appreciating his tone, even Lance growled sternly at the ploy. "I should thank you kids for taking care of Team Magma. I'm thanking you so much, I can forgive you for mistakenly rounding up my agent in the process." Katara and Ash cringed at the grin Archie masked. Lance did not want to stay silent.

"If I were you, Archie," he voiced. "I would throw away the red orb you possess! Those orbs were created by evil magicians in order to control legendary Pokémon to do their bidding. They created chaos and destruction, claiming many lives! The orbs were sealed away for a reason!" The fact that these orbs killed many made the kids fearful of the power that's concealed inside. Mockingly, Archie unveiled the red orb.

"You mean this?" The kids knew they were in trouble. "With control over Kyogre and Groudon nowhere in sight, world domination is!" He began to walk toward a small craft fitted with propellers on each side of the side. "And it begins with sinking this island." Now, everyone gasped at the callous plan of Archie. Even the female operative was shocked.

"Sir, you can't!" she cried in fear. "There are people here!" The red orb began to glow bright with blue symbols on it which seeped onto his skin and his eyes. His look was wickedly villainous.

"Try and make me care!" Taking off, Archie retreated to over the waters to meet with his new slave, Kyogre. For everyone on the island, doom was in the presence. This would mean Katara wasn't going to be back with Aang...until she plotted something.

"There's no way I'm gonna let Archie enslave an innocent creature," she gritted as she dug into her robe to grab the blue orb...if it was still inside. The orb wasn't in there. "Uh oh." This was a problem in itself. Before Katara wondered what to do, a voice began to call out.

"_**So, you're the one in possession of the blue orb," **_a voice echoed in her head. It wasn't Aang.

'Who's there?'

"_**You should know who I am, do you not?" **_Did she? It had to have been what Ash was talking about earlier.

'G-Groudon?' Why was Groudon allowed to communicate with Katara? Was it the blue orb she had?

"_**I sense the red orb in possession of a human with an impure heart, enslaving my seaworthy partner. I can trust you in loaning my strength to correct the wrong of a human's selfishness."**_ Okay, but how?

'Tell me where you are. I'll see what I can do to free you."

"_**I cannot say. I'm being confined in this chamber." **_That helped. That's when Katara had a plan.

'I see. Since I have one of them, I'll ask her.' She had a plan to interrogate the lone Aqua the team captured. The redhead was the only one who she had to put her trust in to finding Groudon. "Hey, where do you have Groudon?" The redhead knew that telling Katara would mean the release of Groudon.

"I'm not telling you," she hissed off. With the entire island going to be submerged, she was willing to stick by the man who wanted to sink that volcano. The hatred started to fuel Katara...and the blue orb. Red marks began to glow on her face, alerting Lance.

"The blue orb's been infused with Katara!" he gasped in fear. She forced her hand out and thawed the ice around her waist...but there was no refreshment with her. She guided the water onto her head. She began to struggle to breathe. Was Katara going to drown her? The redhead tried to hold her breath, an attempt to keep air in her lungs. Ash realized that if no one acted, the redhead would die. He ran up and hooked his arms around hers. The water fell to the land.

"Stop this, Kat!" he growled. Katara was being driven to madness by the blue orb that was in her. Needless to say, Katara was not liking her new restrainer.

"Let me go!" she roared. Ash wasn't about to let her go...not yet.

"Brock, hit us with some water!" How would that help? Brock had to gamble on Ash's order and released a green sea creature which wore a lily-pad like a hat.

("What is it?") the creature wondered.

"Lombre, use Water Gun on Ash and Katara!" he ordered. Lombre fired water...there's and oxymoron when you need it...at the two struggling. The water seemed to douse the anger in Katara as she calmed down.

"I...needed that," she sighed. At least to stop her rage. The redhead coughed, trying to breathe normally. So now what?

"I bet that Team Aqua's sub is on the other side of the island," Maxie wagered. "That's where they're holding Groudon." As mentioned by Ash, Groudon was in custody of Team Aqua. A plan was ready to act.

"We should head over there at once," Brock decided. Ash and Katara agreed...but what about after they free it?

"I don't think it'll be wise if we try to fight it," Lance denied. "Keep in mind that Katara has the blue orb in her body." She did, but Katara wanted to help out, blue orb or nothing in her.

"We don't have much of a choice," she acknowledged. "Let's go!" Katara lead the kids onto the other side of the mountain. It had taken them a few minutes cutting through a thicket of trees where there was a giant compartment with an electronic lock. That had to be where Groudon was. That wasn't all and it's not the blue submarine that was also there. Trying to free Groudon, at least by appearance, two people and a white cat with an oval coin lodged in it's forehead. The two adults in white uniforms with red "R's" on their chests and black arm-length gloves and boots. One was a woman with blood red hair slicked back to appear like a wave, donned in a mid-drift shirt and skirt. The other was a male with a basic schoolboy's cut with a not-so-basic blue hair color, dressed with a long-sleeved shirt and pants. They were the last people the kids wanted to see.

"It's Team Rocket!" Ash growled. It was the ones who threw the wrench into Ash's plans to reach Mossdeep City. Still, something didn't really settle with what they were doing with the container.

"You don't think that they're trying to free Groudon, do you?" Lance wondered. Even if that was their intention, May knew that it was a bad idea.

"If they do, they can't really expect to stuff it into a Pokéball," she pointed out. Katara and Ash didn't want to know any plots up their sleeves and raced in to stop them. Pikachu, being Ash's loyal partner, jumped on their bandwagon to aid and fired a strong Thunderbolt, zapping the group. When that application was over, the Rockets stood, though a bit charred.

"Was that Pikachu just now?" the blue-haired wondered. The three turned to view the other three.

"Yeah, and there's the twerp!" the cat snarled. Ash and Katara were ready to throw down.

"Just what do you think you're gonna do with that container?" Ash roared. Whatever it was, Ash didn't like the way it was going to turn out.

"That's rather easy for you to figure out. We're releasing Groudon and repossess it as a present to the boss." Blabbermouth!

"Meowth!" the other two angrily shrieked. Meowth covered his big mouth with his paws in panic. Katara groaned at how brazen...and honest about their attempting crime.

"Are they always this honest?" she questioned.

"No, though I do feel a touch better when they do," Ash murmured. Katara had the next question...regarding Meowth.

"And does that cat always talk human?"

"Believe it or not, he does." Scary thought but now wasn't the time. If Team Rocket can open up the container, Groudon would be released. Katara had to bank on a bluff.

"Rather bold for you to try and take what belongs to Team Aqua. I, for one, managed to take some teaching scrolls from pirates." Ash wasn't sure if she was truthful about that skit of a story or she wanted to see if she could 1-up the Rockets.

"Don't underestimate the tenacity of Team Rocket, little girl," the redhead scowled. "When Groudon's free, he's gonna give you a legendary spanking." She spun to work on the keypad attached to the container.

"Access denied," a speaker computed. The redhead tried again. "Access denied." ...And again. "I take it you do not have the combination, do you?" Did that speaker mock the redhead? She tried it again. "Would you stop pressing random keys? You must be an idiot to try and think you can break the seal without the combination." Man, either the designer of this box was a wise guy to mock those who tried to break into one without the password or he had _way_ too much time on his hands that he programmed something to pass the time.

"Allow me," Ash requested. "Pikachu, use Thundershock to short the system." The Rockets stepped back and gave Pikachu a chance as he fired a smaller voltage of lightning which hit the panel. The computer sensed the overload of electricity short the circuits inside.

"Error! Error!" BOOM! A blast jarred the container open and pushed the Rockets behind the kids. What came out of the container? A huge red dinosaur-like creature with hard plating as skin and a claw-like tail. This thing looked vicious.

"That's Groudon?" Katara shuttered. Groudon gazed down at Katara, sensing the blue orb which was inside her.

"_**Thank you, young child,"**_ it spoke out to her. **_"I can now help those on the island and save Kyogre from the man who possesses the red orb, the controller of my legendary brethren...but I need your help to do so."_** Katara felt the strength of Groudon and wondered why it needed his help more.

"Why do you still need my aid?"

"_**I've sensed your power, being able to control water to your will. It may be the key in stopping the madness and our chance at victory."**_ Ash was baffled with what was going on. He couldn't understand the conversation between Groudon and Katara. She turned to Ash, ready to accept her duty.

"Ash, make sure the people on this island get to safety." Ash didn't like the way this was happening. He was willing to protect Katara until she was back by Aang.

"Hold on," he tried to delay. "You can't battle Archie and Kyogre alone." Katara rested her hands on Ash's shoulders, telling him not to worry about her.

"I know what I need to do." That's when she knelt and...who did she like more, Aang or Ash? She hugged and kissed Ash on the cheek while the rest watched. May was a bit steamed that Ash was kissed by her. Max groaned, thinking that either Katara had fallen for Ash. Brock was upset that Ash was kissed, but maybe thought with all that had been occurring that it was a kiss for luck.

"I'm a bit jealous but maybe that it wasn't a loving kiss," he theorized. "I think she was wishing Ash good luck." May and Max were split on whether to agree with Brock's explanation or not.

"Wish me luck." It was luck. Katara used the water to propel herself onto Groudon's head, ready to battle Archie and Kyogre...and just in time. There they were. Surprisingly, Archie wasn't upset with the release of Groudon. Katara's body and eyes started to glow back to the crimson red.

"Groudon's out of his cell," Archie grumbled. "That's fine with me." Ash managed to get back with the rest as Teams Aqua and Magma reached the scene.

"Ash, what was that all about?" May arguably asked. Ash could say that the kiss was a good luck charm. Right now, their safety was first priority.

"She was telling me her plan and that she wanted me to escort everyone to the shrine," he answered, either hiding the kiss...or maybe that's what happened, that she plotted and whispered it, not kiss him. Ash, you're not fooling the audience. You got kissed. Brock and Max believed him, thinking safety first for his friends...and enemies like Aqua and Magma. Watching, both Archie and Katara began to glow the colors of the orbs' opposites: Archie in blue and Katara in red.

"This has gone far too long, Archie!" Karata warned. "Dispel the red orb or face punishment!" An ultimatum from Katara. A white beam over the darkened cloudy sky burst, creating sunlight.

"You think I want to relinquish this power I have?" Archie refused. "Kyogre, Surf!" Kyogre obeyed,splashing a humongous wave at the island.

"That's a really huge tidal wave!" May freaked in fear. Max chose to listen to Ash, still thinking that Katara planned Ash to tell them to seek shelter.

"Ash, this is one good time to listen," he acknowledged. "Let's go to higher ground!" To Brock, it was too late.

"It won't work," he mulled. "This wave's so big, it'll swallow the island." That scared the kids well. "Kyogre's going after the island because Groudon's there. Archie cannot be human if he's willing to sacrifice all on here." Ash knew that Archie was willing to kill all on the island. Still, there was confidence that Katara would pull through. That's when sunlight beamed down onto Groudon. What could it be?

"Release!" Katara called out. Groudon spat out a huge white beam which crashed into the tidal wave, breaking the surf. Max was stunned.

"That was a powerful Solar Beam!" May observed.

"Yeah, it broke the tidal wave in half!" Ash noticed.

"Groudon's just as powerful as Kyogre!" Brock surveyed. Both legends growled, taunting one another to make a move. Both teams were awe-stricken, believing that controlling the creatures was overwhelming.

"Sir, what's your plans?" Tabitha wondered. Maxie was too stunned to think straight.

"Tabitha, Groudon is an amazing Pokémon," he murmured. "We were fools to think we could control that kind of power." These were legends, not everyday Pokémon. Even the redhead Aqua member understood Maxie.

"But if Kyogre is capable of the same power..." she began but paused. Lance couldn't understand why Kyogre would stop the Surf attack while perched on an orange dragon with a horn on the crown.

"This doesn't make any sense," he studied. "Why use a Solar Beam to stop that Surf?" Then it clicked. "Of course! Dragonite, get me to Ash!" Dragonite guided Lance back down to the kids who still watched as the rest of both teams made their way inland. "Ash!" Ash and the rest turned to the dragon trainer.

"Lance, what is it?" Ash asked.

"Groudon is trying to protect the island because of the people on here." To protect humans? Really?

"It is? It's helping us!"

"Yes, and in order to do so, Groudon needed someone to free him from Aqua's container." Now it made sense...somewhat. That blue orb was connected to Groudon in which it had Katara helping out.

"But I don't understand why the blue orb needed to be infused with Kat? Why not me or Brock or Max?" Lance couldn't provide an answer for it, meaning that Ash had to wonder why for himself. Meanwhile, Groudon pounded the water, creating a beam of water, nailing Kyogre.

"Worry about that later. First, we need to evacuate everyone from the island. It's not safe!" To Lance, it was a battle between Katara/Groudon and Archie/Kyogre, one falling to their demise. Not on Ash's watch.

"No, Lance. You get the others to safety." That didn't sit well with Ash's friends.

"But Ash, you can't stay!" Brock warned. Ash seemed dead set with helping Katara.

"There's no way I can abandon a friend like that, not even Kat. I'm gonna do everything in my power, even if it means risking my life to stopping Groudon and Kyogre on my own." Ash was willing to sacrifice himself to stop the legends?

"You're not." Ash didn't like the denial...until Brock presented a red/white ball. "We'll pitch in." Ash got a bit excited with the news of help. Back at the battle, Kyogre fired a huge burst of Water Gun...bigger than it should have been.

"Hydro Pump!" Max labeled with fear. "That'll do heavy damage on Groudon since it's part Ground-type!" Ash wasn't worried. Here's why. Katara pushed her palm forward, creating a shield in which the Hydro pump sprayed everywhere except on Groudon and Katara.

"Keep in mind Kat's water bending abilities should not be taken lightly," Ash advised. The group had to come up with a plan.

"Ash, you and I can ride on Groudon while the rest board Garydos," Lance instructed. "Those on Garydos will plan an attack on Archie as a distraction while we rescue Katara." No arguments, Lance released a giant red sea snake with a huge mouth, allowing May, Max and Brock to board. The struggle of legends continued, even when both submerged. Katara used her skills to make sure there was air for her and Groudon to breathe. Ash saw the exhaustion Katara heaved. She couldn't last too long. Brock and May released a couple more Pokémon: a blue mud-fish with orange cheeks and a black butterfly with yellow wings and a stringy nose. All made their way to the hovering vehicle piloted by Archie.

"Mudkip!" Brock called to the mud-fish. "Water Gun!"

"Beautifly!" May shouted to the butterfly. "Silver Wind!" Mudkip and Beautifly fired their attacks, a spray of water and a blast of cutting winds, nailing the vehicle. That got Archie to turn to them.

"You're kidding me!" he roared. "Kyogre, attack the intruders!" Kyogre listened and raced after the serpent. To Lance, the plan was working.

"Kyogre's distracted!" he praised. Groudon was gathering more sunlight. Another Solar Beam was coming.

"Release!" Katara roared, prompting Groudon to fire once more. Archie turned to Katara's shout. Bad news.

"Kyogre, watch out!" Archie tried to react. Not enough time. Solar Beam hit dead center. Kyogre shrieked and so did Archie who felt something trying to exit. Sure enough, the red orb excused itself from Archie.

"Lance, look!" Ash shouted and pointed to the orb that had exited the Aqua leader. Archie fell out of the vehicle and into the water. Garydos proceeded to pluck him out of the water. Katara began to clutch her chest. Was the blue orb about to exit her as well?

"_**Thank you, young warrior," **_Groudon praised. Finally the orb removed itself from Katara who then fell into the water, spent from all that control. Not good news for Ash.

"Kat!" Ash yelled as he dismounted from Dragonite, much to Lance's concern.

"Ash, no!" he shouted but it was no use. Diving in, Ash swam down and reached Katara. Relief...or so they thought. Kyogre, freed from Archie's control, reached them in the blink of an eye. This was not good news. However, Kyogre observed Katara, sensing something. It shrilled then scooped both. Everyone else was back on the island where the redhead Aqua member was with Archie. The others waited for Ash and Katara, even Pikachu. That's when Kyogre surfaced. There was Ash and Katara.

"Kat?" Katara was breathing, having Ash sigh in relief. She began to open her eyes, but not much.

"A-Aang?" she weakly murmured. Ash wanted her to relax.

"Take it easy. You earned some rest." It wasn't from the Avatar she hoped to see but she smiled and passed back out...but not before she wrapped her arm around his neck. Whoa...

"Thank you...my...Avatar..." Ash could only wonder about the situation. Did Katara call Ash, Aang, or did she think Ash was her new Avatar? Or something in between?

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. Healing Waters

_Chapter 4: Healing Waters

* * *

__(Katara's Dream)_

"_Katara!" sounded...Aang? Katara was opening her eyes to an ominous sound, a sound that she's been missing for such a long time. There was Aang, floating over to her._

"_Aang!" she cried out. The fact that she's seeing Aang was happiness...but became a moment of dread. She feared the worst. "D-Does this mean?" Aang shook his head. It wasn't...what was it not?_

"_I can't die now. Not until I defeat the Fire Nation. I'm just resting while Sokka and your dad are keeping me safe." That's good to know. "But what happened to you? I was in your arms one moment and then I heard a tearful Sokka-" Katara rose her hand, knowing that brother was sickly worried about her._

"_It's...It's just been rather fascinating. I can't wait to get back to you soon." Touching. Aang wanted to hold onto her promise._

"_I wish I could help you get back. I miss you already." Suddenly, Aang began to fade off. To Katara, it was too soon for Aang to leave her._

"_Wait! Don't go!"

* * *

_

"Aang!" she shouted as she flipped up at rapid speed. She was in a bed in a building somewhere and she snapped awake in front of Ash and Max.

"Take it easy, Kat!" Ash reacted as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Katara looked bugged out. It was as if she just saw a ghost. Coming to her senses, Katara turned to Ash and Max. "You're still recovering from your battle with Archie." Last chapter had that intense battle with Archie of Team Aqua and Katara with the red and blue orbs, each controlling legendary Pokémon. Thanks to help from Lance and Ash, Groudon, controlled by Katara, defeated Kyogre and Archie. So, what happened between the battle and...now?

"Where...am I?" Yeah, a location sounded like a good start.

"The Pokémon Center," Max jumped his answer. "We got an escort by police who helped us onto dry land and to get you a bed to sleep in." You can bet that the escort was because of the fatigue factor in the sense of an emergency. "A couple of officers were really concerned about you and thought you died." Real supportive, Max.

"Anyway, you've got all the time to recover your strength," Ash assured. Katara felt relieved that Ash and his friends got her somewhere to gather herself...and had a question about the battle with Archie.

"What happened to Groudon?" she wondered.

"He's back at his home." To some, a crisis averted.

"And the blue orb that was in me?" That's gone, right?

"Long gone with the red orb," Max replied. "Both had gone into the distance and that's probably a good thing. Those orbs were bad news to have around." After what history Lance dug up, better that they're gone. For Katara, the grudge with Team Aqua was over.

"Listen, Kat," Ash spoke up. "Take your time with that rest. There's no rush, okay?" Since there was nothing more to do, Katara nodded and laid back down. That's when a chime sounded.

"Ash, May, Brock, your Pokémon are ready to go," a female voice happily sounded. Go where?

"That's good. We can leave for Mossdeep City in the morning." Morning? Was it nighttime?

"What was that?" Katara questioned.

"That's Nurse Joy on the public announcing system," Max informed. "Come, we'll show you." Ash, you might want to slow Max down.

"Wait a second, Max," Ash spoke. "We need to let Kat rest. There's no real need to have her move so quickly after waking up-"

"It's okay, Ash," Katara interrupted. "I need to move around to get the feeling back." She rose out of the bed and stood on her feet. So much for telling her to relax awhile.

"Never mind, then." Both stepped out and walked over to the front desk of the rather large building. There stood a loop-design pink-haired female in a nurse's outfit. Pikachu was on a tray with five red/white marble-sized balls.

"Ash, your Pokémon are in terrific shape," she praised. That's cool to know. Pikachu hopped off but instead of Ash, it scampered over to Katara. That's an interesting turn. "Are you sure that's your Pikachu?" Last we checked, it was Ash's.

"He's been worried about her." Could the same be said for Brock and May? For the results, here they came.

"Hey, Katara," May called. "Did you have a nice rest?" She had a chance to see Aang. She should be feeling somewhat better.

"I-I did," she shyly huffed. "I had my chance to see Aang...if only for a dream." Aside from Ash, no one had any knowledge of Aang, the Avatar she's missed.

"Who are you talking about?" Brock wondered. Katara spoke to Brock, Max, May and the nurse about the exploits from Aang's past to the glacier to the trip against the Fire Nation. They seemed satisfied with the story but wondered something.

"That's rather deep of a tale," May awed. "I only wonder what he looks like." That question gave the nurse an idea.

"There's a program that I recently downloaded onto my computer which could help," she addressed. "Give it the proper description and the database will search for possible matches." That could help. Katara was a bit dumbfounded with the nurse's offer.

"Com...puter?" she stuttered. That made Ash think that computers didn't exist back in her days.

"A piece of advanced technology that's hundreds of years ahead of your time but there are so many functions with computers these days than when they were first invented," he explained. "Think of it like a bunch of libraries on a compacted device." That's a rather fascinating way to describe a computer...or so he thought.

"Ash, that's the internet," Max corrected. Ash started scratching the back of his head. Max was right on that extent.

"Well, you need a computer to get to the internet." That's true. "Nurse Joy, if it's okay..." Joy accepted and escorted them to a computer. Max sat down on the seat. Joy activated a program which started it. On the screen was a giant white knob.

"Okay, let's start with the shape of the head." Katara had gone to her memory bank.

"Well, he has a round head with a pointy chin," she tried to picture. Max went to work, the screen showing the round head with the arrow-like chin.

"Hair style?" Aang didn't have hair...did he?

"He was bald." Thought so. "But he had a tattoo of a blue arrow from the back of the neck to the forehead." That made May raise an eyebrow. A kid with tattoos on the head? Max managed to paste the arrow on. Katara became more and more awed with this technology. "This computer is interesting to watch." To Ash, this wasn't a shock.

"You did come from a rather historic world," he pointed the obvious. Katara shot a smug look. Max hit the tab reading "Ears."

"He had average looking ears but were large." Max pasted the ears and extended it. Katara nodded, agreeing with the ear size. "And he had large brown eyes." Max posted the eyes and enlarged them which nearly reached the location of the mouth. "Whoa! Too big!"

"Sorry!" he jumped before shrinking them a little more. "That better?"

"Perfect. He also had a small nose and a big mouth." Max was quick with the pasting. The head was done. The picture looked like Aang for sure. "That's Aang." Now, the trainers were noticing who Katara was missing. The database began to scan for possible matches. After a minute, it finished...with zero matches. Not really a surprise.

"He seems like a happy-go-lucky kid," Ash studied. "Hard to believe he's this Avatar." Hard indeed? After some more talk, the group chose to go to bed. Ash was with Max and Brock in one room while May and Katara entered the other room. After being out for some time, Katara was restless. She couldn't find any resting chances. She rose and stepped out of bed, then leaving the room. Out of May's bag was a pink kitten. She sat back down in the lobby, her mind heavily weighed on Aang and how she needed to return to his side. A sudden meow startled her back flow of her memory. She looked down to see the pink kitten.

"Skitty, what are you doing away from May?" It would appear that Ash, May and Brock showed Katara their Pokemon. Skitty had to have sensed the heartbreak and frustration on Katara's face. It leaped up and rested in her lap. That's when Joy, also up, saw the awakened Katara.

"Can't get any sleep, Katara?" she asked while walking up to her. Katara and Skitty looked over to a...rather joyful Joy.

"Sorry, Nurse Joy. I guess after being out for so long, I can't keep my eyes closed." Joy smiled, understanding Katara's frustration.

"I can see why." Seeing Skitty, Katara had an idea.

"Say, is it possible if I can help with any of the Pokémon?" Joy was a bit dumbfounded with this request.

"Well, I'm not sure if it's the right idea...I'll allow you to come inside to see how they're treated." Skitty hopped off Katara, allowing her to stand and head inside the infirmary. "This is where I treat wild Pokémon who've suffered injuries that a simple checkup won't accomplish." In glass containers, various Pokémon slept, resting aching and injured bodies. Suddenly, one Pokémon began to convulse, shaking uncontrollably. It was a little brown mouse with scales over it's back. Katara and Joy scurried to the shaking creature. "Oh no. Sandshrew!" Joy opened the container where Katara grabbed it, hoping to calm it down. "Calm down, Sandshrew!" It was no use. Suddenly, Katara felt the foot being huge with a crevice. She looked. There was a gash on the Sandshrew's foot and it appeared to be infected. Seeing a sink full of water, Katara summoned some water and coated the wounded foot. Joy watched Katara's water bending feat in which the cut began to close. When the cut was finally sealed, Sandshrew stopped convulsing. Sandshrew woke and looked at Katara, its aid. It softly stomped on the infected foot, no infection now.

"I think that did it." Sandshrew hopped and hugged Katara, thanking her for being healed.

"I think you have a natural healing ability within you." When was it that apparent?

"Thanks, but I would have to thank Aang for helping me discover after an accident while training in fire bending when he burned me." An accident goaded the healing from Katara to be present. "I did get over that incident and told Aang that he needed to get over it too, though I don't think he has yet." Katara looked over, wondering if her skills could help the rest of the Pokémon. "Let's take care of the rest." So those two did. For several hours, the ladies treated the wild creatures of their injuries and illnesses.

"I'm gonna call it a night for now," Joy yawned, not acting like her joyful self.

"Have a good rest." Joy excused herself and had gone to bed. Katara was working on a blue miniature rhino. "Looks like your wounds have healed up, Nidoran." The Nidoran was happy to be in great shape. That's when the door opened, twisting the two to...Ash!

"Morning, Kat," he greeted. "You've been up helping Nurse Joy with the Pokémon?"

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" Nah, Ash shook his head. He knew she was doing the right thing.

"No, not at all. I think it's nice for you to help, Doctor Katara." Katara scoffed at Ash's teasing. Suddenly, a red light began to flicker. "Great, an intruder. Who'd be up at this time of night?" Katara glanced at Ash, thinking he was ridiculing himself.

"You mean, besides us?" The two, the Nidoran and Skitty exited the room to look for the people breaking in. They reached the storage room and found the intruder_s._ It's Team Rocket...and they were dining on the food in the cooler. They've already finished on a bucket of grub.

"I tell you, nothing beats a midnight snack," the redhead cheered.

"True, with more hanging on the rack," the blue-haired man smiled. Thieves.

"You might wanna put those back," Ash scolded. The three intruders turned to Ash. "That's for all the paying customers." Team Rocket stood, ready for battle.

"Send the bill to our boss!" the redhead growled. "Seviper, go!"

"Cacnea, you too!" the blue-haired joined. From their red/white balls exited a large snake with a dagger-like blade at the tail and a round cactus. The forest green skin of the snake was crooked in a zigzag pattern as the head was gold plated between its red eyes. The cactus had pointy feet and spiky arms...but it had gone after the blue-haired man, giving him a prickly hug. He screamed in pain. "Now's not the time to hug!" Katara spotted green liquid in a small tub of pickles. "Cacnea, Pin Missile!" Cacnea fired rounds of spikes at Ash and Katara but Katara bent the pickle juice and spread it like a shield, stopping the barrage. That freaked the Rockets.

"Now dat's impressive!" Meowth awed. Katara was't done. She began to waive the water around and around, creating a vortex of pickle juice with the pins still drowning. Before Team Rocket could wonder what she was doing, she fired the vortex, striking the Rockets. After the barrage, the humans were...pinned to the wall. Meowth, Seviper and Cacnea were in shock...and pickle juice.

"I don't know what's worse," the redhead cried. "Being pinned to a wall or smelling like pickles?" Skitty decided to help with that when it swung a paw, releasing a gale of air cutting blades. The wall came down but the Rockets were carried into the sky.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off without the motto!" they screamed in unison as they fell into the horizon. Hearing their farewell call, Katara wondered what the motto was.

"They normally do a motto?" she questioned.

"Yeah but it's a stupid one, less repetitive," Ash answered. Katara agreed to shut up about it. "Don't worry, the repairmen will be here in an hour to fix the side." Ash began to walk when...

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Ash turned to ponder what was on her mind. "You see, I'm...starting to wonder if I really need to go back." There's a need, not a want? Ash listened but had to clear his ears to make sure he heard her correctly.

"Kat...I promise to help you back to Aang. Don't worry too much about it." Katara didn't seem to want to go with Ash's word.

"Thank you but...what if there is no way back? Or if I don't wanna go?" That can't be right, can it? Katara not wanting to return to Aang's side, helping him become the true Avatar, fighting the Fire Nation?

"What are you saying? You...wanna stay here?" That's what it sounded like.

"Well...I'm starting to believe that...you're the Avatar I'm searching for." Ash the Avatar? Ash wasn't an air-bender...or water-bender, earth-bender or fire-bender. Why would Katara suddenly say that Ash was the Avatar she needed to seek? Skitty and Nidoran were just as puzzled with what Katara motioned as Ash.

"M-Me? T-The...Avatar?" Katara came over and locked lips with Ash while still mentally paralyzed from her statement...so paralyzed that he didn't feel Katara pressing her lips onto him. Fortunately for Ash, he was about to get some assistance.

"What are you doing to Ash?" a female shouted out. Both lips suddenly separated from the shout out and turned to...

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Return of the History

_Chapter 5:Return of the History

* * *

_

This was a startling moment for Ash and Katara. A kiss broken by a brunette female, much older than May, called for them. The ponytail and pink button-down t-shirt told Ash to stop what they were doing. "Mom, what are you doing here?" he gasped. Mom? Katara was surprised to see Ash's own mother and how young she looked.

"That's your mom?" she wondered. Mom came forward to see her son...and possible girlfriend.

"Well, Ash?" What could he say? He was caught getting a little love from Katara. He fumbled anything that could come out. This prompted Katara to speak her say.

"I was pretty emotional to him, ma'am." The mother and son turned to the admitting water bender with stunned expressions. "Ash...well, he's more daring and protective than when we were imprisoned by Team Aqua." Hearing this made Ash's mother think that Ash's heroics brought on the reward she walked into. She now had second thoughts about disrupting their...passionate time. At least they weren't naked and plugging...forget it.

"I'm sorry. It's just..." Ash waived his hand to say that the subject had passed.

"Anyway, what brings you this far into the Hoenn Region?" he questioned. Mother wasn't one to shy from her son's questioning.

"Well, when I heard from Prof. Birch that you're on your way to Evergrand City, I wanted to watch your battles live like I did during the Indigo League and Silver Conference. So, I left Mr. Mime with Prof. Oak and Tracy to come see you and your friends." A thoughtful gesture but to Ash, she jumped the gun.

"I hate to say it but you're a gym badge too early. I still need to earn the Rain Badge in Sootopolis City." The mother was a bit baffled. In her mind, she thought Ash had already earned a spot in this new league around this time. Whoops!

"I thought you got all eight badges by now. Not that I'm upset but what's kept you from getting to the grand area?" Just like it was arraigned, Max came out of the boys' room, awakened from the noise outside.

"Ash, what's going on?" he wondered. When he spotted the mother, he became more befuddled. "What do you have that women flock to you? And why don't I yank you away like I do Brock?" Ash had to clarify to Max that this was a relation of a different set.

"Max, this is my mom," he informed. Max was shocked. This woman was already a member of family to Ash. "Why did you think that she's another woman who's liked me?" Like he knew Ash's parents.

"Delia Ketchum," the mother, Delia, introduced herself. Embarrassed, Max scratched his neck.

"It's...it's a surprise to see you," Max stuttered. "I'm Max. I'm the son of Norman, Petalburg City's gym leader. My sister's a Pokémon coordinator who needs one more ribbon to go to the Grand Festival." That answered Delia's question to why it was taking longer than usual.

"Well, thank you for answering an issue." That's when Max recalled something that happened overnight.

"By the way, Katara, what was that explosion about an hour ago?" It had to be about Team Rocket's invasion.

"You know those adults in white who tried to free Groudon?" she pointed out. Max nodded. "We found them in the food storage room taking the food. Ash and I took care of them." Nice!

"Team Rocket hardly thinks of anything except for going after Pikachu and digging holes." Max scoffed at the Rockets' stupidity. Katara sighed at the short-mindedness.

"Don't they have some sort of life instead of going after Ash like stalkers?"

"Apparently, no," Ash lowly answered. Delia decided to ask Katara about her presence.

"Well, I know that you're not related to Max via skin color," she determined. "Where are you from?" To the boys, it's the repeat performance and sighs. Katara explained to her about what happened back at her home to when she found herself in the Pokémon Center. As she listened, Delia's mind had gone into overdrive. There's something in Katara's story that caused her to think of answers in her problems. "Do you know where this area is where you were transported from your time and dimension?" Katara shook her head in dismal. It did have Max thinking.

"Well, considering that we met along the same ocean," he began a hypothesis. "The location of your arrival would be among the ocean bed. All we would have to do is find the place and boom, you'll be back home!" It's a tall task, one Ash felt necessary to point out.

"Easier said than done, Max," he spoke of his doubts. "We're talking about hundreds of miles of ocean to cover. It would take weeks in order to find this portal, let alone for Kat to return home and be back with Aang." Max wasn't happy with Ash being doubtful. He sure didn't act like himself.

"Ash, it's not like you to surrender to a difficult situation. You're usually gun-ho and solving the matter in your fashion." It wasn't that Ash was giving up. Delia realized her son had figured the calculations of locating Katara's way home.

"No, he knows that the span of the search area is far greater than other incidents he's dealt with," she explained. Yet, Max figured the group was overlooking Katara's water bending abilities.

"You keep forgetting about what Katara can do with water. If she can communicate with water using her fashion, she may be able to find her way back within minutes, not weeks." The mother and son turned to Katara who seemed to think Max had the better point.

"It's not something water benders could think up, let alone anyone of the Southern Water Tribe," she weighed. "Maybe there are abilities that are undiscovered and yet to be mastered. It's worth a shot." Ash wasn't sure about Max's idea working but decided to give it a shot.

"I'll join along to be sure," he opted. Katara smiled, believing him. He's been by her side since the start.

"Thanks, Ash." The sun was halfway up in the early morning when they got to the dock. Katara leaned down and tried to measure the water's currents. Touching the waters, her vision became a view of what lied underneath the surf of the ocean. All sorts of marine Pokémon were seen, almost stopping her search. 'I can see...what's beneath the ocean floor.' Her "eyes" viewed the ocean floor. She saw more and more creatures and reefs. That's when there was a light which seeped out of a crevice. She used her vision and peered out. There was a gap between two lands underneath a cavern ceiling. She remembered that spot. 'There it is! That's where I fell from!' Finally, the "eyes" retracted from the scene and viewed any nearby islands to locate the spot. She found the island...where she and Archie fought from. Her vision returned to normal, back with the group now joined by May and Brock. "I found it!" Max was proud of his trust. Even Delia was surprised with Max's gut guess.

"Good work, Max," she praised the young boy. Max shyly accepted the young mother's gratefulness.

"Thanks," he happily gulped. Brock managed to round up a boat to head out to the spot in which everyone boarded. On the boat was scuba equipment with small oxygen capsules. A new breathing apparatus in the future as well? There was enough for everyone, even Pikachu. Delia and Katara stretched into a wetsuit to prep for the dive while Max was in some swimming trunks. Brock and May chose not to join. "Now remember, the oxygen capsules' only have an hour's worth so if we don't find the spot within the allocated time limit, return to the surface but be careful when you do. Come up too fast and prepare to suffer the bends. Katara, that goes for you too. You may be a powerful water bender but even you're not immune to ailments like that." Katara acknowledged Max's warning as she fitted the mouthpiece of the tank. Everyone was ready to go. Going back first, Ash, Pikachu, Katara, Delia and Max entered the ocean and descended quickly down. Being great swimmers, Ash, Delia and Katara forgone flippers. However, Ash also brought his bag down with him. Why? No one questioned this and continued their down swim. The group didn't take long to find the light, only five minutes.

"There it is," Katara called. Going by her word, the swam into the light...and came out in the cracks looking up the walls which were about a hundred feet down...or up. The group removed the mouthpieces since they were above water once again, able to breathe air. "This is where I fell from and apparently into the hands of Team Magma." This was where she handed the injured Aang to Sokka before falling down the shaft. Ash paddled to a wall and managed to get a grip on jagged impressions.

"Let's see if we can't a better view," he pondered as he began to climb the wall.

"Be careful, honey!" Delia concernedly warned her son. Pikachu stayed on his back to stay by his side. Despite drenched hands and feet, Ash effortlessly climbed the wall with little difficulty. Max appeared to have an idea why.

"You know, I'm beginning to notice how warm it is here," he pointed out. For Delia, it seemed to be a place no one should be inside.

"Could we be inside a volcano?" A volcano, like one that's active? Not to Katara.

"The Fire Nation seemed to want to dry out what's left of Ba Sing Se," she figured. "We're underneath the city...or at least what's left." Ash reached the top, ready to help the rest up. He would need to wait since it was a _long_ way up...and a couple of them were still wearing flippers. Never fear, Katara's here with her unlimited water bending abilities. Concentrating, she began to carry a massive amount of water with Delia and Max along for the ride. They reached the top. Before they started to think of their next move, Katara felt an odd air flow and turned to the wind. Out...or in of nowhere, the white bison showed up. To Katara, an old friend was there. To everyone else...astonishment. "Appa!" Appa landed in front of the group where Katara hugged the monstrous beast.

"What kind of-" Delia began before remembering that she was no longer in _her_ home world. "Right. Not a Pokémon." Katara reminded herself that Aang was needed.

"Appa, you know where Aang is?" Appa snorted a positive snout. Ash reached into his bag and pulled out a case of first-aid gear. That's why he brought the bag along! Surprisingly, the case was dry. Bag must be waterproof. That's when Appa sniffed Ash and Pikachu. It wasn't sure if Ash was friend or foe. "Don't worry, Appa. They're friends, including the mouse." Understanding, Appa seemed eased. Ash quickly came up with a plan.

"Mom, Max," Ash called. "Let's return home. Katara should take care of the rest." So that's it? Everyone's heading home and Aang would be reunited. Max questioned Ash's decision of retreating.

"You sure we can't make sure she reaches the Avatar?" the youngest wondered. To Ash, there was no need to remain.

"Appa can get Katara back to the Avatar. There's no real reason for us to remain." Straightforward but there wasn't an argument in Delia's mind. "Appa, I trust you in getting Katara to Aang, okay?" Appa's reply was a giant lick. This was a giant bison so just imagine the tongue's size and how it covered Ash and Pikachu. The smug and drenched faces were humorous but seemed to be an agreement.

"Wow, Appa seems to like Ash," Delia chuckled. Suddenly...

"What are you doing to Appa?" A female screeched in anger. All turned, seeing an auburn-brunette female in red fatigues. She was around Delia's height...just nowhere around her good spirit. Katara leaped down to confront the new brunette...who seemed dumbfounded now. "K-Katara?" Now, everyone was clueless to how she knew Katara, let alone know who she was. Appa seemed to know and backed up to her. Katara seemed betrayed, thinking Appa had turned against her...until Ash stepped up. Something didn't click and Ash looked like he knew why.

"Undercover work, I suppose?" he figured. Aha! This wasn't a real Fire Nation representative. About now, Katara realized who it was...almost scoffing the light disguse.

"So that's what you look like without the face paint, Suki?" she identified. The brunette finally cracked a smile and dashed to hug the water bender.

"Sorry for appearing like this," she apologized. "But the Fire Nation's really putting the other tribes in numerous choke holds...and no one seems to know where the Avatar is. The Fire Nation has already announced that they're disallowing Zuko's exile from the nation on claim that it was his leadership that Aang's gone." Katara gritted. Azula was the one who greatly injured the Avatar...but didn't finish the job. Delia had a plan...and she wanted to stay.

"Ash, I can get this Aang some First-Aid and get him back on his feet," she offered. Ash wasn't wanting to put his own mother in danger. Even if she did know how to treat injuries, he knew that by going out into their world, they'll be in the crossfire of the Fire Nation. Max on the other hand wanted no part in it, whatsoever.

"You guys can go along," he murmured. "I'm gonna head back to be with my sister." Without a second to plot his jump...he jumped off. Did he forget about the jagged sides? He could seriously- SPLASH! Well, what do you know? A clean splash. Suki turned to Delia, confident to trust her word.

"If you can get Aang back to his feet, you're more than welcome," Suki obliged. Ash acted flustered. He wanted to return Katara back home to help Aang and now his own mother offered her hand. What did Ash do to deserve this treatment? In defeat, Ash joined the other women and set off to find Aang.

"Appa, yip yip!" Katara commanded. Appa began to take to the sky and leave the cramped confines of the cave into the open world...devastated in flames and cinders. This Fire Nation was out of control and Ash and Delia woefully threw themselves out of the tiny frying pan they called home and into a massive fire of Katara's.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Great Ships of Fire!

_Chapter 6: Great Ships of Fire

* * *

_

With Max safely back with May and Brock, Ash, Delia, Katara, Suki, Appa and Pikachu flew into what seemed to be the Apocalypse. Villages were scorched, towns demolished, cites cindered...no doubt lives lost as well. Ash, Pikachu and Delia, new to this world, cringed at the worldly destruction of the world. "So many lives taken," Ash gritted. "The Fire Nation's out of control for sure." No one would dispute it, not even Suki.

"Ever since Aang was found in that glacier," she remembered. "All the Fire Nation wanted was the death of him and now this is rubbing salt on a giant wound." The Avatar was knocked out of commission. Over the ocean, the group spotted ships floating. To Katara, those ships were hostiles. The proof was each sail...red sails with fire emblems.

"A whole lot of Fire Nation soldiers," she murmured. Why would Appa guide them to fleets of the Fire Nation? Was Aang kidnapped on one and sent to be killed? "Is Aang aboard one of these vessels?" The flying bison never grunted. That's when fireballs began to fly at the group. Multiple ships fired flames at Appa.

"Incoming!" Ash shouted. Appa saw the flames. No way did this overgrown beast want a lick of fire on its fur. Using it's quickness, Appa flew passed each shot that zoomed their way. Ash wanted to help out as he grabbed a ball to release a Pokémon. The flying bison was moving so wildly, Ash couldn't get a chance to release his creature. He was too busy trying to stay balanced. As if Appa's moves weren't wild enough, it began to nosedive toward the ocean.

"Were we hit?" Delia wondered. They descended pretty fast. Finally, Appa nailed the water, skipping a couple times but suddenly ceased...and so were those on board. The multiple thrashes and thrusts were too much to handle and the group passed out. A couple of soldiers guided their ship to Appa and pulled up the occupants. Once on board, Appa seemed to hop on too. Worried about Katara? One soldier, rather young in appearance, checked on Katara who suddenly came around. That soldier had to react.

"Katara, remain calm," he tried to ease her sudden terrified excitement. He removed the headgear... Hey, it's Sokka! Katara turned from scared to happy as she lunged onto her brother for a hug.

"Sokka!" she cried. Sokka wrapped his arms on her to calm her down. Ash and Delia began to stir as well as Suki and Pikachu were still out.

"Man, what happened? How did you survive that fall?" Katara couldn't wait to tell Sokka about the adventure she had with Ash and Pikachu.

"What about Aang?" Sokka shot a glance at the door, indicating that Aang was in there.

"Dad and Toph made sure that Aang was comfortable. That shot to the back really took a lot out of him." Delia got up and walked over to the cabin. Looking inside, she saw Aang. She saw the Avatar. By then, a grown brunette male stepped forward to confront her.

"First time seeing the Avatar?" he muttered. Jumped, Delia turned to the new man who had the same skin color as Sokka and Katara. Certainly, he meant no fright. "Sorry. The name's Hakoda. I'm Sokka and Katara's father." Delia and Hakoda shook hands as Katara entered to see Aang. She hadn't seen him in a long time.

"Aang?" she called softly. "Aang!" Aang suddenly began to open his eyes and saw his water bending friend.

"Katara?" he weakly muttered. A soft giggle and a dive onto Aang was Katara's sign of him being alive. "What happened? I heard that you vanished." He wasn't dreaming. Katara had to think of something to say.

"I had gone to look for medicine after Azula injured you. I got help from some people." Nice lie. He turned to the door, spotting her father...and Ash's mother making sweet talk. "Hold on." She walked a little outside where Ash dug through that waterproof backpack of his. He pulled out a bag of stems.

"There we go," he huffed. "This should help." Katara was a bit baffled with what Ash presented. "Salveo Weed. Mortar some of it up and it should help with Aang's injury." Interesting... Katara snagged a few stocks.

"That would explain the reason you carried your bag." Both reentered the room where Ash finally met Aang for the first time. Obviously, Aang was stunned to see new company.

"First time seeing you," he gawked. "Some water tribe Katara wanted to keep secret?" Can't blame Aang for that sudden train of thought.

"Not exactly," he declined. "More of a freelance person." Not that it didn't help who Ash was but it was a nice start.

"Ash was able to find something to help with that injury to your back," Katara named. The name made Aang believe something didn't quite fit with joining the boat.

"That sounds like a name of someone from the Fire Nation," he simply put. Ash didn't take long to wonder why he said that.

"Blame my mom," he exaggerated. Katara finished mortaring the Salveo Weed and mixed it with some water. She slathered the contents onto Aang's back who felt the stinging effects.

"That tickles a bit." As she applied the mixture, Aang began to reflect about the events back in Ba Sing Se. "So, Azula was the one who hit me with a bolt of lightning?" Ash nodded, remembering Katara's tale.

"Apparently, you were shot out of the sky by her. It's a miracle that at least you're still with us." Aang didn't feel appreciated. They were after him.

"And Ba Sing Se?" That made Ash and Katara shake their heads in a mourning tone.

"Destroyed," she motioned. "At least we saved the Earth King. The city can be rebuilt." That should be good to know. Aang felt worse now. A city that opened their arms to him and it's gone. "There. The medicine should kick in soon enough." Soon enough?

"I'm already feeling my back getting better. I should start moving around in no time." Good to know. "Ash, thanks for helping Katara find medicine for my back." Ash smiled, but then frowned a bit. Did he miss Max, May and Brock already? "What's wrong?" Ash glanced over at Katara.

"Katara, could you excuse us for a second?" he requested. Katara nodded, though baffled at why. Once she left to check on the families, Ash felt the need to relieve his back of guilt.

"Any reason?" Once Ash swallowed his...uh, pride, he was ready to speak.

"How much... How much do you like Katara?" This was a question that befuddled Aang. He gave it a thought.

"I guess...a lot." It was about the incidents back on the battling island and the Pokémon Center. He was ready to confess.

"Well, I don't blame you if you get upset. Katara seems to be having feelings for me, even kissed me a couple of times." Aang was shocked despite Pikachu taking a snooze on Appa. Was he mad? He didn't burst out in anger.

"Wow...um." Think Ash and Aang were astounded?

"This is something," a female voice spoke out. Ash and Aang turned to the voice, eying a young raven-haired girl. "Katara liking another boy? Wow, she's lucky. I wonder what I need to do to get myself a male." Her eyes were glazed and seemed to be faded.

"How long have you been there, Toph?" The blind one?

"I've been watching you since Sokka told me that Katara vanished." Ash and Aang gawked and looked at each other in confusion. Watching someone when someone's gone missing isn't bad...unless that person was blind. Toph came over to Ash and began to feel his skin. "I like to know what Katara sees that appeals to you, other than your muscle tone." Was Ash really that muscular? Ash tried to think back at what would make Katara fall for him...until he remembered what she said before Delia decided to barge in.

"If I recall, she mentioned that she saw me as the Avatar, despite not having any bending abilities like you, Aang," he replayed. "I'm a trainer with an assortment of creatures." Ash as the Avatar thought had Aang and Toph scratching their heads, wondering how Ash could be like Aang, be like the Avatar. Meantime, Sokka had a chance to observe Pikachu, even petting the lightning bolt Pikachu had for a tail.

"I may not be one for fire attacks and those who can shoot lightning," he began to state. "But I can admit that the design is cool." Delia and Pikachu huffed a laugh. As Suki looked on, she had to wonder where the ship was heading...and so was Delia.

"Mr. Hakoda?" she opened up. "Where are we going?" Hakoda had a stern look, a face indicating danger being up ahead.

"We're heading for the Fire Nation's heartland," he described. "There's wind that Prince Zuko will be greeted with a hero's welcome for slaying the Avatar." Delia and Pikachu became horrified. "This is why we hijacked one of their ships and hid Aang away to conceal the fact that he's still alive." Good planning. Without warning, a blast of smoke billowed from in the cabin. What, was there a fire on the Fire Nation vessel? The siblings looked into the cabin where a red tortoise with a blackened shell stood in bewilderment. Everyone else was coughing the smoke out.

"Torkoal!" Ash scolded. Torkoal acted innocent. The others, including a grown green gecko with a twig in it's mouth and blades of grass embedded in its arms, a large black swallow and a red crustacean with giant round pincers. Sokka had to wonder who these Pokémon were when...

"Hey!" one other ship called out. Hakoda and Delia turned to the sound as the smoke was finally emptied out into the sky. "What happened? You got a lot of smoke coming from the cabin!" Actual Fire Nation soldiers. What could they say without blowing their cover? Delia had one.

"We through some material in the fire bin which kicked up a lot of exhaust!" she replied. Some flammable material? The soldier would want to dispute it, only asking this.

"Are you all right? We can send someone to help with the maintenance!" How thoughtful. Delia had a way to counter his offer.

"My son's got it under control! Thanks, anyway!" Heeding the word, the soldiers let them go. Seeing that vessel sail away, Suki and Pikachu breathed a sigh of relief...until they saw a tall teenager step out to look. A dirty brunette male came out for fresh air. Nothing out of the ordinary...until he turned to face the adjacent boat. His left eye had been heavily scarred by some sort of fire incident. Delia became horrified by who this boy was and the endless scorn he provided. Her trembling came close to a reality check of her consequence of joining Ash and Katara to aid Aang instead of retreating back with Max and possibly head over to meet Norman in Petalburg City. 'I don't like the way he's looking. Why did I come with?' Paying no attention, the teen approached the soldiers.

"How far are we from home?" he questioned.

"A couple of hours before reaching the Fire Nation, Prince," he answered. Prince? Prince Zuko? Delia, paralyzed with fear, wished now that she was back home in Pallet. With the group nearing landfall, Ash and Aang were ready to team up...unaware that the Fire Nation's liege was close by.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Camouflaged in Ash

_Chapter 7: Camouflaged in Ash

* * *

_

"Land, ho!" shouted Sokka. The ship the heroes and parents were on, surrounded by members of the Fire Nation, saw land. It had to be the land of the Fire Nation. The brother and sister duo, along with Aang, Toph, Appa, Ash, Pikachu and Delia, were finally entering enemy territory. There was one problem though and it was on Aang. If Aang was discovered, all sorts of consequences would follow. The question relied on how they would keep Aang's identity a secret. Ash and Toph stepped out to see the land swiftly approaching. As they did, Ash glanced over to the right. There was a tall raven-haired female in red armor who had a wicked smile on her. She's grinning about something.

"We're almost home, brother," she whispered to herself. "And with that traitorous uncle of ours, this will be the greatest moment for dear old papa." She wasn't paying any attention to the vessel nearby. Katara had Delia meet Aang inside and thought of a way to disguise the Avatar. How, we'll know in a few minutes. Arriving at the docks, the group prepared to step off.

"Well, here we go," whispered Ash under his breath. Suki and Sokka knew that their adventure continued from here on out.

"He's ready~!" sounded dear...young mother. The group twisted around, finding the door. That's when Delia and Katara emerged with Aang...in a black wig. His tattoos were covered by hair. Surely, no one would recognize him. They disembarked from the vessel on their way to a village. Upon entering, people strangely glared at the group thinking they couldn't have been from anywhere close.

"Who are they?" one villager questioned.

"Not sure," another gawked.

"Are those two related?" a third wondered about Ash and Aang. All these look y-loos began to make the two rather uncomfortable.

"Can you believe these people looking at us like we're foreigners?" Ash asked. To Aang, it was common.

"I get that everywhere," he moaned. Nice to know.

"Hey, kid!" one guy bellowed. Ash and Aang turned to the voice who was rather upset with the attention they're receiving. "The heck are you doing with an air bending rat?" An air-bending rat? Pikachu? Instead of taking offense and relying on what Katara explained, Ash decided to turn the tables a bit.

"Are you sure that my rat is an air-bending rat?" he smirked. The man had a reasonable defense.

"Anyone or anything yellow is considered an air bender! Prove me otherwise!" Prove Ash and Pikachu will.

"Well, you heard the man." Pikachu knew that showing off a Thunderbolt would shut their doubts. Shooting electricity from the cheeks, the bolts sailed skyward. The villagers now realized that Pikachu wasn't an air-bending rat and quickly changed their tone.

"We- We're sorry. We didn't know that your rat could perform lightning like some of our military coming back from finding the Avatar." Ash knew they were meaning the still-alive Aang but never looked toward him.

"It's alright. Just a misunderstanding."

"Anyway, what's your name?"

"Ash." The man huffed, enjoying the name he presented. Like he said, blame Delia.

"More proof that you belong here. Hey, enjoy your stay!" With a nod, Ash and the group pressed on. The group stopped at a restaurant to fuel up. Not Ash.

"Hey, son," Hadoka called out. "Why not get something to eat? At least the food here's good." He shook his head in refusal.

"I'm gonna tour around here for a little while by myself," he plotted as he opened his Pokéball, releasing Torkoal. Perhaps since Torkoal was a Fire-Type, the group will be okay.

"Just be careful, Ash," Delia wished. Katara would want to join, only to realize that perhaps the balance of her mentality of being glad to be with Aang...and the desire to be with Ash. It was becoming a complicated conundrum for her. On that sendoff, he and Pikachu broke from the pack to focus on what to do. Aang and Katara were back together and all he and Delia would do would be heading back home. He and Pikachu lied on the outskirt hill of the village.

"Well, Aang and Katara are back together." Well, don't forget Sokka, Toph and Appa. "There's no real reason to remain here." True enough but Pikachu thought Ash wanted to abandon the friendship between him and Katara.

("Aren't you worried about Katara, Ash?") Pikachu squeaked. Ash could be thinking about her. After all, she did kiss him...twice. That's more than enough for Ash to stick by her but all he wanted was to get back on the saddle of his training.

"Don't get me wrong. I wanna get Mom back to Pallet Town so that she's safe and I can return to Pokémon training. I still have one more badge to get in order to compete in the Evergrand Tournament." Ash began to lie on the grass, looking up a tree. He closed his eyes for a second. It would've been better to keep them closed...but that's up to him. A silhouette emerged above him on the tree. This could be trouble. "Uh oh..." The silhouette leaped down on top of Ash and trapped his head with the arms crossed and the body on top of his. Pinned, Ash was at the mercy of this apparent assassin. The assassin leaned onto his petrified face. Wow...talk about a way to go down after just arriving. However, instead of willing to accept death, the assassin...controlled his lips. Ash was getting kissed and Pikachu stood by stunned. Why it turned out to be a tall brunette female smiling down on him. She was sitting on top of...let's just say that it's a good thing they were still clothed if you get the picture. Pikachu could only wish that Max had joined him only to pry this new girl off of Ash...or pry Ash from underneath away from her.

"Forget that water boy, I think I found my prize," she giggled. Water boy? Sokka? "So cutie pie, what do you go by?" She's flirty.

"It's...Ash." The brunette's glee brightened as she began to poke at his chest.

"Call me Ty Lee, Ash~!" Well, she's rather affectionate of her new boy toy. Can't say the same for someone else.

"Circus Freak!" sounded...hey, it's the one from the boat a little earlier. And look who joined her: Zuko and another raven-haired female who looked more bored than the first. "What in the world are you doing?"

"Oh, come on, Azula! I haven't seen him before and he's cute, just like his mousy-wowsy!" Pikachu blushed at Ty Lee's words but was embarrassed to be referred as "mousy-wowsy."

("She likes me like she likes Ash?") Pikachu wondered before turning to the fourth wall. ("Anyone in the FanFiction world remember that one actor's Smoochum? That's what she reminds me of.") Before reacting to helping his buddy, the other female snagged him to observe the Electric Pokémon.

"You look like a large Molouse from the Western Earth Kingdom," she surveyed before petting the tail. "But that lightning bolt design as your tail begs to say you actually belong here." The same could be said with the villagers. Zuko pondered what could be on this raven-haired female's mind as Toph and Torkoal were eavesdropping from behind a building...or in front.

"You're not thinking of getting a pet at this time, are you Mai?" he wondered. Maybe she was.

"No, I'm just agreeing with Ty Lee. However, maybe after you're declared the Fire Nation's Emperor, perhaps one hanging around the capital wouldn't be such a poor idea." Azula huffed in displeasure. It wasn't looking good for the suggestion.

"If we want a pet, we'd have a dragon roaming around the castle in case someone has any bright ideas," she suggested. "Right now, we need to meet with dear old Daddy." She had a schedule to keep. Ty Lee wrapped her arms and legs around Ash, unwilling to move. Unfortunately, it was also cutting off Ash's air supply in his lungs. Suddenly, she loosened her grip. Did she know about her suffocating attempt? At least Ash was able to breathe.

"I'll see you later, my cutie," she cooed while the others further distant themselves from the two. She laid one final kiss on the forehead then leaped up to the trees and jumped from tree to tree to catch up with her band. Ash was left in more shock than that Thunderbolt Pikachu summoned. His face was more red than the Fire Nation's emblem. Usually, it's not really possible but...there are some laws which would be better broken. Coast clear, Toph and Torkoal reached Ash and Pikachu.

"Apparently that circus girl has the hots for you," she figured. She knew who had that hold on Ash? It's not a pop quiz for Ash to figure out how.

"Right, your other senses are heightened," he realized. Ah, her touch, smell, hearing and tasting were more sensitive without her eyesight. "By the way, how did you lose your eyes?" Not phased, Toph scoffed the question.

"I can't really say I lost my eyes if I never had them in the first place." Her words could mean that she had been blind since birth. It made Ash feel sorry for bringing it up.

"A birth defect." A futuristic term that Toph realized she didn't quite understand for a moment.

"I guess you could put it that way. Nobody's perfect, not even Aang and he's suppose to be the Avatar." Ash could easily accept that phrase without a problem as he laid back down. Toph decided to sit...on his stomach. That hurt him. Good thing he didn't vomit. "So now that Aang and Katara are back together, what are you gonna do?" That's easy for Ash. Just say it and she'll accept.

"I...I...don't know." Ack! What? You were dead set in returning to Brock, Max and May! Why the cold feet? Even Toph was stunned as were Ash's Pokémon. Why? Perhaps it's Katara. Perhaps it's Ty Lee. Why did he have no idea what to do?

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	8. Bended Trainer

_Chapter 8: Bended Trainer_

* * *

Conflict. Ash was bounded with two topics, one being getting Delia and himself back to his world and helping the Avatar with the Fire Nation. The reality of a member of said nation admiring him further tied his arms. Ty Lee, the circus freak...why was she beginning to flood his mind? Ash was no bender. He was a trainer with a cute face. It was bad enough when he believed he was taking Katara from Aang. Now this. Slouching on a railing in the middle of the night from a vacant building, he struggled to contemplate how two females, none from his world, began to love him. All he wanted was to bring Katara to Aang and be on his journey with Brock, May and Max. In a sense of insightful answers, Aang woke, noticing that Ash wasn't in his bed. He stepped outside and found him so deep in thought, Aang would need to blow his "brain out of the water." "Can't sleep, huh?" he alerted. Ash heard the Avatar and turned to him.

"Got a lot on my mind and it ain't the final badges," Ash sighed. Aang stood by Ash's side, curious about what troubled his visitor from the futuristic world.

"I don't think I've thanked you for making sure Katara was safe. How did you meet?" You can thank Team Magma for yanking the two from the waters. Ash was kindly willing to talk about the ordeal.

"Team Magma had a submarine surface underneath me and my friends on our way to Mossdeep City. Team Rocket forced us to jump ship trying to take Pikachu. Anyway, it turns out that Team Magma had a legendary Pokémon and wanted to free another held by Team Aqua. However, when we refused to help Magma, they separated and imprisoned us in different cells. That's when Pikachu and I met Kat. She was still reacting to what happened in Ba Sing Se and became fearful of Pikachu from the get-go. Fortunately, that was short-lived and soon she warmed up to my buddy which we escaped. Soon, we bailed out my friends and restrained the team when Team Aqua showed up. Archie, their leader, fused the orb controlling the legendary Pokémon, Kyogre and threatened to submerge the island we stood on. However, Kat had the orb controlling Groudon and used it to save us. I guess while trying to rest from that sudden trip that Kat...had feelings for me."

Aang was rather fascinated but stunned that Katara began to feel for Ash. That's when he thought back to when they first met. "That's why you popped the question back on the ship. You were afraid that you were taking Katara away from me." Ash nodded. "It's okay. It's good for Katara to admire other people besides me and I know why." He knew why? "I can tell that you keep your cool under a weight of pressure." Ash smiled but slightly squinted on something else.

"Now my stay's been impacted a bit. I got one of Zuko's girls falling for me." That got Aang shocked once again. He feared it was Azula.

"Don't tell me it's her."

"Ty Lee?" Hearing it wasn't Azula relaxed him a chunk.

"Good. It's not her. For a second, I thought it was Azula." Ash looked out to the distance, knowing that Zuko and his harem were far, probably at their kingdom. "Since you and your mother are staying, I could use your help with fire bending." Ash was not ready for a request like this. What could he say as he itched his hair?

"Well, I can try at least. Right now, we should get some sleep." The two boys re-entered but not without notice. Mai, standing on an adjacent building like a ninja, was watching the two, gritting that Aang was still alive.

"So that boy Ty Lee's shown affection to is associated with the Avatar," he groaned. "I'll need to take him out of the picture." In a flash of darkness, Mai vanished, a ploy in the making. The late morning rolled in where Ash and Aang were working with Torkoal. Ash picked a large leaf from a tree by the spot where he met up with the teens of the Fire Nation.

"Okay, Torkoal. Use Flamethrower but keep it light." Torkoal blew out a small stream of fire. Ash folded the leaf and inserted it into the stream, burning the leaf.

"Reminds me of Jeong Jeong," Aang recalled. A teacher? The Avatar was handed the burning leaf as it scorched from the center to the edge. Aang closed his eyes and began to concentrate as Katara and Delia came over to see what's going on. Katara noticed the same training as well.

"Well, Aang's far calmer and patient this time around," Katara sighed. Suddenly, the leaf was gone in the flames but the flames didn't die down. Aang held a fireball in each hand. He wasn't celebrating like he won the Super Bowl. Then again, Green Bay didn't riot after their Packers' championship victories against Kansas City, Oakland, New England or Pittsburgh. It wasn't burning Aang so it looked to be okay.

"Stand back." The group left room for Aang who palmed the fireballs forward. The force of the "push" propelled the flames out, sending them into the clearing. That amazed the group. Aang seemed to have learned Fire Bending. It's not a Pokémon ability and Aang's no Pokémon. "Well, that's a great second attempt." First attempt was bad?

"What happened on your first attempt?" Delia wondered. Aang would speak up but...

"I got burned by him," Katara admitted. "It's also when I discovered my healing abilities." The same healing abilities she performed on the Pokémon back at the center...and on Max. And speaking of...

"Ash, we should be getting back." Finally, Ash can get back to his training.

"I was wondering when we could go back," Ash sighed with a smile. He reunited Aang and Katara, Aang's healed of his injuries, why stay any longer?

"So that's it?" Sokka hiccuped as he and the rest entered the area. "You're gonna get up and get out?" Yeah, basically.

"Sokka, all Ash wanted to do was bring Katara back home," Aang illustrated. "He doesn't really need to remain here." As fascinating as it sounded, Sokka was displeased with Ash and Delia leaving. Katara opted to confront Ash once more.

"Ash, thank you for all you did for me," she praised. "At least I now know that not all fire's bad and water's good." Ash and Pikachu enjoyed a laugh at that tease. Sokka was left scratching his head in confusion.

"What do ya mean not all water's good?" he hiccuped. Aang chose to remind him of a time where water wasn't good.

"You probably don't remember the time you drank that cactus juice and became pretty loopy," he backtracked. Delia laughed at how funny Sokka would have been during the juiced intoxication. Suddenly, Pikachu sensed something approaching and turned to that direction. The rest saw Pikachu's twist and twisted to see soldiers. They had their spears pointed at the group. The kids stared at the soldiers, pondering what they should do.

"Surrender, Avatar!" one soldier ordered. They were found out. But how?

"I didn't think the Fire Nation was _that_ good," Sokka gulped. They didn't know they were tipped off by Zuko but someone was ready to play the spoiler and Mai accepted the part. Ash gasped at seeing the one person who he befriended along with the other teens of the Fire Bending school.

"Why did you back stab us, Ash?" she scowled. Back stab? Ash didn't really back stab anyone.

"Well, if it isn't Girlfriend," Katara hissed. Sure, mock the fact that it's the girlfriend of the once exiled prince. Mai's scorn was noticed in the wink of an eye.

"What did she mean by back stab?" Delia wondered. She, Aang and Suki spun to Ash who was a little dumbfounded himself.

"We just met yesterday," Ash shrugged as he tried to think how this betrayal occurred. "I didn't really explain anything other than showing off Pikachu and Torkoal." Just as the rest reacted, the soldiers threw fists at them, fireballs shooting out. Aang swiftly crossed his arms, a literal crosswind blowing in and catching the fireballs, flinging them upward. More soldiers raced in, pikes ready. Toph was ready as she diagonally kicked the ground at the soldiers' path. The soldiers were swept off their feet, landing face-first on the dirt except for two. Ash snagged a pike which was jarred from one and clashed metal with the lone fighter. He released one hand to use another flame. Bad move. Ash jarred the blade away and swatted the free arm, flat faced. That had to sting. Worse, Ash quickly hoisted a blow to the face. No, Ash didn't cut him. The hilt provided the blow and knocked him down. Ash was shocked that he did that kind of damage. Neither did Delia and this was her son.

"Ash..." It didn't take too long for Ash to recover, unlike the soldier he just clocked.

"Must have been all that Team Rocket rage I bottled up." Yeah, blame it on Team Rocket for that beat down. Mai came forward, tossing knives and forcing Katara into the scrum. Bending the water from her sac, she whipped the knives from the air. Those two were definitely in sync with protecting Aang. Mai tossed an orb which Ash struck, hoping to return it. BANG! A large smoke cloud erupted getting everyone. The soldiers recovered and struck, as well as made their escape. When the smoke cleared, Mai and the soldiers were gone...but something didn't feel right. Aang was still around. Delia was still around. Katara was still- Ash was missing.

"Ash?" Katara realized. "Ash!" Aang knew that he was spared...but knew that Ash was less than deserving of being captured in the matter.

"Mai has him!" Sokka blurted. You think? Katara started to feel a serious weight of guilt on her. Why? Was she the reason Ash was placed in the predicament in this world? Was her friendship to him the cause of his kidnapping? Delia felt the same weight, wanting to blame herself for helping Aang and putting her and Ash in the dangerous position.

"Let's get him back!" Aang roared as he waived his hands and created a sphere out of air. He hopped on this nearly invisible ball and wanted to pursue.

"Aang, wait!" Suki voiced out. "It's a trap!" Aang stopped and turned to the group, mainly Suki. "If Mai realizes that you're still free, she'll execute Ash!" It was a consequence Aang wanted to avoid, leaving him with doubt about what to do.

"It's my fault," Katara whimpered. "I...I wanted to show him to this world and to you, Aang!" It was a setback but Delia saw a light that no one else did.

"I don't think we need to worry too much," she grinned. "Ash has been in this position before. He'll be fine." Did Delia know something no one else did?

"What do you mean?" Sokka wondered. It then just dawned on Toph. Her arms crossed and sightless eyes closed, she snickered.

"The Fire Nation isn't aware of Ash's real arsenal," she sneered. "And I don't think you need eyes to determine what he has." No one really had a clue on what the blind earth-bending prodigy meant. Meanwhile, Mai and her soldiers were at a fortress a good distance from the town. Guess who's on the throne in the main hall? Azula, herself. Mai brought in a sacked and tied Ash.

"Great work, Mai," she smirked. "Now that the Avatar is in our possession, father will have complete control over this world." If only she knew the real deal. She was about to find out. She pulled out a dagger and cut the ropes. When she pulled the sack off, they were in for a gust of wind of a new direction...uh, big surprise. Off came the sack...and out came the trainer! This was the last thing on their minds. "What's this?" Realizing her botched work, Mai worked her grievance.

"My apologies, Lady Azula," she pleaded. "The smoke minimized the soldiers' vision and he and the Avatar looked rather similar." Azula didn't really agree with Mai's excuse.

"Unless I'm mistaken, the Avatar's bald with arrow tattoos all over." She was but not her fault for not seeing what Aang looked like now.

"He put a wig on and tighter clothes to hide those tats," Ash confessed. Azula was astounded with the news Ash coughed up.

"I see. I guess I can't blame the guards for something they couldn't see, could I?" Ash decided to go from resistant to witty.

"Well, you could. The question would be if they deserve it?"

"Since I sent them, they deserve whatever consequence I derive." Pray for those soldiers' lives. "I could destroy you but I see you more of a bargaining chip alive. Brother will be waiting here for the Avatar and I'll enjoy the pain he endures." Aang or Zuko? Azula waived two guards over where they stood by the captured trainer. That's when Ash saw something interesting: blue hair seeped from the helmet of one guard. It couldn't be... "Guards, take our 'friend' to uncle's cell. We'll drive the Avatar here with him as a hostage." Not another word, the guards stood Ash on his feet and escorted him away...while two grown men were in their underwear and hogtied to the side. Someone's playing the wolves. As he was led away, Ash smiled with great confidence. He's got a reason for a bright smile.

'She'll be in for a big surprise when I escape from here with my Pokémon. Good thing Mai didn't frisk me for them.' That's what Delia meant when she acted under control. She realized that Ash's Pokémon were by his side. The three entered the dungeon and hanging by his arms was the old geezer who helped Katara escape with Aang: Iroh. Ash walked in with the cell closing behind him. Now became a waiting process. Seeing that Iroh was probably asleep, Ash sat down and began to think. He has his Pokémon without Pikachu and Torkoal, he had a feeling of who his escort was and he was hatching a plan. Now with Aang and the rest coming to his rescue, Ash was ready to display the element of surprise. Were these soldiers ready?

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	9. Hot Escape

_Chapter 9: Hot Escape_

* * *

He knew that he was in the mercy of the Fire Nation. He knew that Katara, Aang, Delia and their friends would pursue him. He knew that he was with the backstabbing Iroh. Then again, this was Ash who had his Pokémon by his side, a fact that Azula and Mai overlooked. However, he decided to bide his time instead of recklessly breaking out. He knew something else but wasn't about to smile and reveal that secret...not yet. 'I should have known that Team Rocket's here,' he minded. Really? They failed in capturing Groudon, failed in stealing the food from the Pokémon Center, both times with Katara by his side...so why even show up and disguise themselves as soldiers of the Fire Nation? 'They're probably wondering where Pikachu is since he's not with me. So typical...' Soon enough, two soldiers burst in and confronted the young trainer. If they were who he believed, this could be the ticket to break free. He waited as one opened the cage. Iroh, still hung by his wrists, made no movement. One soldier appeared to be wearing lipstick. To Ash, this was a dead giveaway. Soldier was female and no one, other than Azula did he see makeup...thus cracking his own smile and the other a little concern.

"Hey, what's so funny?" concerned...James? Yep, Team Rocket. Confident, Ash stared at the two who were realizing that their cover was blown.

"Jessie, if you're going to be disguised in a foreign world, take care of your makeup, first." Jessie panicked. Her own facial wear blew it. She tore her helmet off, a failing attempt to control the situation.

"It's twerps like you who don't appreciate outside beauty we women go through," she roared back, completely missing Ash's point. Hey, she's an adult who wanted no nonsense from a child like Ash. Ash would understand Jessie's view but he took advantage of her leaning down at him where he scored an uppercut to the gut. Hearing the paining grunt, Iroh woke and turned to the kid and Rockets. Ash removed his fist and allowed Jessie to drop.

"And she calls me a twerp when her actions are childish. Inner strength is what dominates, not outside beauty." Amused, Iroh softly chuckled.

"He is the Ginseng to her White Jade if comparing flavored teas," he analogized. "And she may need a little Ginseng to recover." Forget it, Iroh! She acted like someone who'd take White Jade instead of Ginseng.

"By the way, how did you know it was us?" James wondered as he removed his helmet. "Was it Jessie's makeup?" He wondered if maybe Jessie was the one who unraveled themselves. Ash was about to let them know the real tale.

"Actually, your hair and seeing the real soldiers tied up got me clued it," he unearthed. "Other than fiery sister, I saw no other female with makeup on and I don't recall seeing anyone else with blue hair. Actually, James, I'm amazed with you." James blinked. Did their enemy compliment him? "If any of the soldiers saw your hair, they'd kill you on the spot." That made James hiccup in fear. His blue hair would have made the soldiers think he was someone from a Water Tribe. Even Iroh knew what Ash meant.

"This boy would be a great opponent in Pai Sho, someone I may have trouble facing," he coughed. "Or perhaps a Legendary General for an army." Ash shrugged his shoulders, not sure if he wanted to accept Iroh's praise. He's never really heard of Pai Sho. He turned back to Jessie, clutching her stomach after that shot.

"How dare you!" she seethed venomously. "You will be subjected to the proper authorities for striking another human under the Trainer's No-Contact law!" Ash rose an eyebrow as he knelt down to Jessie's fetal level. He believed what everyone in this website has to be thinking: Jessie was an absolute idiot.

"Hello!" Ash mocked as he repeatedly knocked on her head like a door. "Foreign world! The No-Contact law doesn't apply here!" He then looked up to James. He's probably wondering where Meowth was. "By the way, you guys didn't come to free me by any chance, did you?" James bobbed his head down. Oh boy! Ash really blew something here.

"That was my idea but Jessie..." he tried to defend himself. What he tried to say was that he wanted to help Ash but Jessie was after Pikachu, unaware that he's with the mother and the Avatar.

"Can it, James!" she snarled back loudly. "Now, where's Pikachu?" Typical...

"You mean you haven't search the fortress for my Pokémon, just come after me?" Ash questioned their ploy.

"You know darn well that you'll protect what's thievishly ours!" Right...incriminate yourself, that's going to get on someone's good side.

"Thievishly isn't a word and you should know that by now." Besides the point, Jessie growled louder the more Ash defied her.

"I'll show you what I know you mangy, arrogant jerk!" Sure, Ash was sticking up against elders but he was being more mature and composed than her as she began to charge. She wouldn't come close as thwacks clipped Jessie all over her back. Jessie stood frozen for a solid three seconds while her face was priceless. She felt agonizing pain all over her body. Finally, she collapsed and guess who's behind her? Ty Lee! She wasn't pleased that someone was brazen to break another from prison. James began to panic. Ash was stunned. Who knew this was the ability she could use...whatever the ability has for a name.

"Jessie!" James called in fear. In sudden anger, James threw his Pokéball. "Cacnea, go!" The ball opened and out popped a cactus ball with a crown and cacti for arms. The cactus raced back at and hugged James who felt the needles stab him, not liking the poking. "Must you hug me at drastic times? Use Pin Missile!" Cacnea broke the hug and fired volleys of pins at Ty Lee. She leaped into the air and flipped onto the cage where she hung like a monkey. In amazement, Ash stood back, actually leaning on said cage. Either he was impressed with Ty Lee's acrobatic skills or humored at how quickly James was in trouble. Ty Lee smiled as she readied two fingers for battle, the index and middle fingers joined at the knuckles. She leaped down and stomped on the little Cacnea like an exercise ball and bounced at James who stiffened up. Open season! Ty Lee jabbed James over his entire body, head to toe. If James stiffened up and couldn't move then, he certainly wasn't able to move now as he fell like a rock. That took care of two. Ash realized that Meowth was missing. Ty Lee was suspicious with what Team Rocket's business was.

"These guys weren't trying to break you out, were they?" she figured. Well, in a sense, they were...

"They were after Pikachu," Ash explained. Ty Lee was more puzzled than a Rubik's Cube.

"How is breaking you out going after your mouse?" James received a lighter punishment from Ty Lee and recovered enough to lift his head.

"It's for our boss back in our world!" he whined. Ash and Ty Lee blankly glared at the downed confessing Rocket, informed about the motive.

"Good enough?" Ash asked.

"Yeah!" she snapped a reply. "Good enough!" Helping out, Ash and Ty Lee escorted hogtied Rockets to an alternate cell and hung them. They won't be able to get out for awhile. The two struggled and whined for freedom. "Thanks." She turned to...Where's Ash? This wasn't good. Realizing that he was escaping, Ty Lee triggered an alarm, a sign for everyone to be on the look out for an escaped prisoner. She raced after Ash as well. All hands were on deck. On the move, Ash scurried through halls trying to find an exit. He had more pursuers on his tail than Brock had girlfriends.

"Hold it!" sounded a soldier up ahead. Ash faced the soldiers blocking his path. He could take another route or attack with his bare hands. He chose to stand by waiving them over, The Rock's style. The soldiers were mocked and thus raced after him. This couldn't end well. Meanwhile, the rest of the Avatar team found the fortress which was close to where Ash was captured by Mai.

"Hard to believe it's close by," Katara gritted. They needed a plan but they watched as flashes of red lit portions of the fortress.

"Man, we're missing a lot of action!" Sokka complained. Katara stood up, alerting Delia.

"Katara, what are you doing?" she wondered. The grit grew on Katara. Ash was no bender and he was taking on an army of fire bending soldiers: a chance of survival thinner than a piece of paper.

"I'm gonna rescue him," she growled. "It's my fault that I brought him here. I should be the one to bring him back." She stepped forth, ready to proceed a rescue operation. Aang softly slapped Katara's shoulder, having her reaction as a turn to him.

"I'm helping out," he offered. "They wanted me, not Ash." And now with that switch, a human was in danger and not an elemental bender. This was Aang's world to save and he was going to do just that. Aang turned to the rest. "You guys return to town! We'll make sure Ash is back on our side!" Sokka stood forth, willing to protest being left out of the action.

"Oh, no!" he roared. "You're not leaving me out of the action!" PING! Sokka switched from determined face to in pain. A slab of earth smacked him right between the legs and into his...it would make any man cringe, that's all you need to know. He crumpled down to a fetal position holding the "grapes" bruised up. Toph gazed at Sokka with a sneer that startled Pikachu.

"How's that for a little action?" she mocked. Ouch! She turned to the two rescuers. "Be careful." A nod from the two and they were off. Back at the downed trainer/prisoner, the soldiers were prepared...for medical attention? The soldiers were out. What happened and if those two were beaten, where's Ash? Whoa! Was there enough beds in the fortress to comfort the injured? There were bodies strewn throughout the halls. Ash was busy...and there he was hiding from Mai, the one who captured him in the first place. How did he get that far? He's good with Pokémon but this was _way _different. Suddenly, Mai sensed something behind her and flicked a dagger in Ash's direction. Ash didn't flinch...because the dagger struck the wall corner and deflected aside. That's when a human-sized gecko spring boarded from the wall and thwacked Mai in the head, knocking her senseless. She recovered and faced the gecko...which was a bad move. Ash crushed his fist into Mai's back, launching her at the gecko who whipped the giant vine on its head onto hers. KAPOW! Mai was knocked out. So this was what Delia meant while she was in complete control: Ash's Pokémon.

"How many was that, Grovyle?" he questioned. "15?" Yep...busy.

("I lost count, partner,") Grovyle shrugged. Ash huffed a chuckle before turning away.

"Let's move!" Who was he referring to? Whoever it was, it followed while Ty Lee found the scattered bodies as a trail.

"Wow!" she awed. "I wonder if maybe I can see where he's from." Never hurts to ask. The acrobat continued her pursuit when Ash and Grovyle reached the doors. Opening, the outside awaited. Watching from afar but with binoculars she borrowed from her son, Delia saw the doors jarring, viewing him and Grovyle.

"That's my son!" she cheered. Hearing the news, Suki believed Ash managed to escape.

"He got out?" she guessed. Delia handed the binoculars to her where she saw the trainer. "I don't think Sokka would've done that well in escaping alone." Sokka managed to escape himself?

"Hey, you and Zuko helped get Dad from that loony warden!" he advised. Suki watched when something interesting appeared through the lens.

"Hey, Delia? What Pokémon does your son have in blue?" Blue? Ash had a blue Pokémon? Delia thought back to when she visited his Pokémon.

"Let's see..." she tried to recall. "Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil and Totodile. I haven't seen Ash's current lineup so I'm thinking he probably has Totodile as his water Pokémon." It would also be realized that Suki had a red hand-held device from Ash who pointed it to the two creatures. Finally, it registered the blue creature.

"Wobbuffet, the Patient Pokémon," it computed with a female voice. The picture on screen revealed what looked like a blue punching bag with a squinted face and had a black tail. "Wobbuffet prefer to reside in dark areas to conceal its black tail. Wobbuffet cannot attack but will Counter their opponent's ability." Hearing that it's a Wobbuffet, Delia figured something she dread.

"That's...Jessie's Wobbuffet." Ash stole Jessie's Pokémon. What prompted him to do that? Could that be the reason the fortress was littered with soldiers and Mai unconscious? Aang and Katara reached Ash and the Pokémon on the bridge, relieved that Ash was okay.

"Guess you didn't really need us!" Aang huffed. The two acted as home stretch escort, going to regroup with the rest. Out of energy, the group rested in the outskirts away from the fortress so that no one, once they've recovered, could find them. There was fresh water where Ash splashed his face with.

"Ash, what resorted you to take a Pokémon from Team Rocket?" Good question that Delia asked Ash. What could he say?

"Well, Team Rocket broke in and helped me out of there but were ambushed," he lied. He knew that Team Rocket became the substitutions for him and he took Wobbuffet for his benefit. "Jessie loaned me her Wobbuffet and the rest was self-explanitory." Everyone but Wobbuffet believed him. They believed that Team Rocket had a good heart after all. Yeah, right!

"I'm jealous of you, Ash!" Sokka scoffed. "It took you less time to bust your way through than it did me and Suki! Then again, we did have Zuko who was a big pain to have as a temporary ally." Well, Ash can say he was Sokka because he had Wobbuffet and Grovyle as opposed to Zuko and Suki. That's when Aang decided to pop the ultimate question, one that may weigh on Katara's heart one way or another.

"Say, Katara," he opened up. Katara gazed at Aang. "What are you gonna do?" Katara had a dumbfounded look.

"What do you mean?" she questioned. Ash watched on, wondering if this was the moment where she chose her Avatar.

"Ash and Delia are returning to their world to resume their journey. If you want, you can go back with Ash and enjoy the Pokémon." It was an open invitation for Katara. Katara fumbled with a decision: go with Ash or go with Aang? What will she choose?

* * *

TO BE CONCLUDED...


	10. Coldest Shoulders

_Chapter 10/Final: Coldest Shoulders_

* * *

It was the hardest decision for Katara to make. A lot harder on her than it was for her than it was for Ash to plan an escape. Of course, that was preplanned and altered by Team Rocket's poor attempt to double-capture him for Pikachu. It was pitted between going with Aang or going with Ash. Sticking with the Avatar or traveling with the Pokémon Trainer. Fighting the villainy of the Fire Nation or fighting the organization of Team Rocket. Staying by a boy able to control the elements with his hands or going with a boy able to use monsters by command. Aiding her home world or traveling the Pokémon World. Aang addressed the question to his friend. Now was time for what seemed like the most important choice of Katara's life. Ash, Aang, Delia, Sokka, Suki, Toph, Pikachu and Wobbuffet...yes, you read it right, Wobbuffet, Jessie's Pokémon, one Ash stole from her after that botched attempt. Anyway, they awaited Katara's option. Her eyes opened, confident about her choice. "Well?" asked her brother.

"I can't leave," she finally answered. "I still have business here with the Fire Nation." She chose to stay in this world. It didn't come down to who she favored most but to what she needed to do. Ash and Delia weren't wanting to argue with why she chose to stay here and not return to a more prominent, peaceful setting. In fact, Ash smiled in respect to the decision.

"Aw!" Toph groaned loudly in objection. "I was hoping that you'd go with Ash! Aang's already mastered water bending and earth bending!" That left out fire bending which Ash provided some help.

"I want to teach that witch, Azula, a few lessons." It was a vengeance for prior attacks. In understanding, Ash was ready to head back and be with Max, May and Brock to finish the Hoenn Region.

"Let's not forget a few others like Zuko," Sokka pointed out. That's when Toph approached Ash.

"Hey, kiddo," she called. Ash gave a quick twist to the blind one. "I know you'll be going far in your journey and just want to say that we're supporting you in your upcoming battles." A nice gesture.

"That's really nice, Toph," Ash softly replied. "You know, if you came to our world, there are professional surgeons who could give you eyesight." Another nice gesture, but one Toph scoffed.

"Seeing is overrated. I like my Earth Bending the way it is without eyes." To her, lack of eyesight was nothing more than an obstacle. Something Wobbuffet would disagree with.

("You don't know what you're missing,") it blubbered. Toph didn't want backtalk from a Pokémon.

"Hey, Wobby!" she shouted as she pointed...away from Wobbuffet. _Way_ away. "You have no right to make Ash's claim!" All watched at how poorly she tried to scold Wobbuffet.

("Case in point...") Yeah... Ash got up and handed Wobbuffet's Pokéball to Aang. Why him?

"Anyway, when you beat the Fire Nation and free Team Rocket, make sure they get Wobbuffet back," he explained. Yeah, he told a lie on how he escaped with Team Rocket's help.

"I will," he accepted. "Now, I'm sure you know which vessel carries Appa, right?"

"Yeah, as well as our equipment when we came over." Katara stepped forward as well.

"Ash, thank you for all you've done to get me back with Aang and the others," she praised. "Not to mention how you crippled the soldiers." That's a feat that Aang might not be able to top.

"It's something my mom wished she never taught me." Delia giggled, opposing the saying.

"Well, now that I've seen how you used it to escape from the Fire Nation, I might wanna reconsider that regret." As Ash and Delia shared a laugh like family members should, Katara sneaked in a little peck on Ash's cheek. Aw! That was sweet of her. If Ty Lee was watching- Oh, there she was and she wasn't too happy with that peck. She liked Ash. Hadoka was ready to excuse the mother and son.

"Well, you two," he voiced. "Hopefully you can share this information with your friends back home. We wish you the best of luck." With a final nod, mother, son and mouse broke away from the Avatar team, fully trusting that Aang and his friends will accomplish their mission. Despite not knowing of Ty Lee's presence, the Ketchums reached the town within a couple of hours and reached the vessel with Appa on the ship. Sneaking on board, the soldiers stationed to watch the port never suspected the two outsiders of hijacking one of their fleet boats. They knew even less that Ty Lee was hanging on starboard. Uh, guys? Your boat! Finally, one turned around and spotted the vessel leaving.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Stop that ship!" Pikachu watched as soldiers boarded boats, a chance to chase down the stolen vessel.

("They're coming!") Pikachu warned. Ash saw the soldiers getting on board as well, making him use an underhanded attack.

"I'd just love to see their reaction when I do this," he sneered. Delia was wondering what tactic her son was about to perform. "Corphish, I choose you!" Ash's Pokéball opened where a red crawfish with giant pincers emerged.

("Ready!") it roared.

"Use Crab Hammer to disable their boats!" Corphish obeyed and leaped into the water. Multiple boats left the dock to go into the pursuit of their runaway vessel. Only a minute after the first boat left for the pursuit, the boats were starting to submerge. One after another after another, Fire Nation vessels were beginning to sink...and it took another minute for the soldiers to realize they were going to help themselves out of the drink to worry about the one floating away.

"Abandon ships!" a crew member yelled out. The ships sunk pretty fast. Back on the original, fleeing boat. Corphish emerged via rear of the boat where Delia was back in her wetsuit that she wore on her way over here.

"I get your intention, honey, but isn't it dangerous to sink their vessels out in the ocean?" she questioned her son's strategy. Ash wasn't worried.

"Tried to tag them as close to shore as possible," he shrugged. Well, his timing could have been better. "Way to go, Corphish!" Corphish cracked a chuckle when it sensed something and dove back under. "Corphish?" Appa, who had been asleep for such a long time, woke to the splashing and the cheering of Ash. It would turn out to be a pretty magnificent timing. THWACK! Ty Lee was bashed in the butt out of hiding by Corphish and flew onto the deck with a pretty loud yelp. She hit the deck, bruised butt first. Ash and Pikachu turned to see their addition to the S.S. Stowaway. "Ty Lee?" Appa also saw the Fire Nation's circus girl but not as chipper as Ash or Delia. Just the growling from the air bison made Ty Lee ready to jump ship. "Appa, down!" Appa and Ty Lee were stunned that Ash wanted resolve between the two. Corphish hopped back on board and viewed the situation. Ty Lee figured that she was now a prisoner in Ash's trap. Appa, Pikachu, Corphish and whatever else Ash had, he would use it on her. "You were following us?" Ty Lee bowed, seemingly acting in defeat.

"Okay, I was curious," she confessed. "I wanted to see what your world is and thought if I had you as my prisoner-"

"Whoa, Whoa! I didn't ask for a full confession! What am I, some man in the cloth who atones sins?" No, you've committed sins yourself. Ty Lee thought differently.

"Well, you did look like an honest young man." Finally, she got her bearings straight. "Listen, I was wondering if maybe I could join you and see what your world looks like." Ash had to be thinking that this was a bad move on the part that the Fire Nation could use someone like her around.

"Aren't you worried about Mai, Azula or Zuko?" Ty Lee just smiled and giggled.

"They can take care of themselves." Well, that's dutifully noted. Convinced, Ash surrendered to her desire to see his world of Pokémon.

"Okay, then. You don't mind if I change, do you?" Ty Lee shook no. Going beneath the deck, Ash switched from the undercover Fire Nation garb to his trainer's clothing...but wrapped his sweat-tee around his waist. Everyone was set and Ty Lee didn't really mind the top Ash had. "Corphish, you don't mind throwing one more Crab Hammer under here, do you?" Corphish didn't mind at all and dove right back under. The group began to board the air bison but Appa wasn't about to let Ty Lee on his back.

"Oh, please, Appa!" Delia begged. "At least it's one way with her." Appa...needed a second. He succumbed and allowed her on board. "Thank you." Petting the giant fur, Appa was at ease.

"Okay, Appa. Back to the cave."

("Yip Yip!") Pikachu called for Appa to move. Appa...didn't. ("I said Yip Yip!") Nope. Nothing still. Delia had a good idea why.

"Guess Appa's used to having humans call him to move," she theorized. "So...Yip Yip!" Finally, Appa took off and in time. The ship was going down. As it sunk, Ash looked down to find Corphish. He hoped it wasn't caught in the wreckage.

("How's that?") it croaked as it reemerged.

"Perfect, Corphish," he praised as he readied his Pokéball. "Return!" Corphish morphed into light and entered the ball once more. "Now, the cave under Ba Sing Se." For an hour, Appa flew high to reach their destination. Finally, they saw the cavern and Appa landed by the entrance. All hopped off and Ash grabbed the stash of items, pulling out those air capsules. Ty Lee looked confused as to what the capsules were. "Thanks a lot, Appa." Appa responded with a giant tongue lick. Ash was covered in the bison's saliva. He'll be smelling pretty fresh on the return home. "Okay! You can head on back. Yip Yip!" Appa flew off to rejoin Aang and his friends. Seeing him leave was a sign of good things. What they were would wait. He rejoined with the ladies and Pikachu and ready to leap into the chasm.

"So, down there is where you guys came from, right?" Ty Lee asked. Ash nodded as he put his capsule in his mouth before he and Pikachu jumped in, heightening Delia's fear.

"Ash!" she yelled. SPLASH! Dead center. Thinking that Ash's jump was awesome, Ty Lee jumped down as well. SPLASH! Two for two! Delia could believe the audacity that the two younger ones performed. She sighed, knowing that she was getting down there one way or another. "I'm getting too old for this." Finally, she leaped. SPLASH! Perfect! The two swam down underwater. Ty Lee's world was about to turn upside-down. Emerging from where the group entered before, Ty Lee saw sea creatures she never dreamed about. There were so many of them. Some came to greet her to this world. Suddenly, there was a shadow over them. Oh, boy. After about minutes of straight down...or up swimming, the group surfaced...in front of the boat they dove off. Removing the capsule from their mouths, Ash and Pikachu breathed in that familiar air they missed.

"That feels great!" Ash cheered. Pikachu agreed.

"Ash!" Brock called from the boat. Looking up as the women surfaced, Ash reached out to Brock who helped him up onto the modern day vessel. "How did it go?" Swell, but he could explain it to May and Max who joined.

"Aang's back on his feet and Katara's back with him." On the wood, Ash turned around and helped Ty Lee and his mother. May and Max were a little surprised to see someone other than Katara. What, it wasn't like they were expecting Aang or Zuko. Even Brock had a disbelieving glare.

"Hey, Ash!" Max spoke up. "Who's she?" Ash knew he was referring to Ty Lee. However, there was a challenge. How to explain without revealing her as a member of the Fire Nation? Suddenly, he thought back to when the two wrangled Team Rocket in Azula's fortress.

"Well, she helped me when Team Rocket came after me in order to get Pikachu. She's Ty Lee." With a childish smirk, Ty Lee playfully waived to the siblings. May shyly wove back while Max began to wonder about Ash's luck with girls. It's when Delia questioned her son's first story and this story.

"Hold on!" she recognized. "Didn't you just say that Team Rocket aided your escape?" Whoops! Caught in his own lie, Ash felt the pressure of trouble from his own mother.

"Oh, boy!" Max grinned, waiting for Ash's punishment. "This is gonna be good!" How was Ash going to squirm out of here? Ty Lee's nose, that's how! Wait...what? Ty Lee smelled something good.

"Something smells delicious~" she noticed. Brock realized that his food was about ready.

"Almost forgot about the stew boiling below deck," Brock mentioned. He's busy cooking while Ash and Delia explored Katara's world. Interested in his stew, Ty Lee followed Brock below deck to try the stew. That left the siblings and the mom and son.

"Anyway, what was Team Rocket doing in Katara's world?" Max asked.

"A more interesting question is how did they get there in the first place?" May wondered. They were there for Pikachu but using Ty Lee was a great move and decoy for Ash.

"It _is_ Team Rocket we're talking about. I could be in Katara's homeland and they still would strike." That was a scary concept. Suddenly, there was moaning. It sounded rather odd. Ash had an idea but wasn't too sure about it.

"Is it coming from below?" Max guessed. They were about to get the answer.

"Oh, Brock!" Ty Lee swooned. "This is the best cooking that I've tasted! Lemme be with you! I wanna die in your pots and pans!" Wow! What could you say after hearing that? This would be Max's moment where he'd pull Brock away...but it's usually when _he _made the propositions. How about the other way around?

"Ah, Max?" Ash called. "Isn't this your line to remove Brock?" Maybe Max was aware of her abilities of paralyzing her enemy despite meeting her for the first time.

"Yeah, Max..." May murmured. "Every time, you whisk from some pretty cute girl." Max heard the catcalls but remained stiff. What's wrong?

"Yeah, but that's when Brock makes the move!" he proclaimed. "Not when the girl makes it!" In stressed frustration, he gritted a headache and squatted. "AH! What am I suppose to do?" Let him and Ty Lee go dating?

"I think we'll let Ty Lee warm up with this world," Delia suggested. "She's already warmed up with our breeder." It was an offer the kids fumed sighs in dismay. Delia smiled before taking the helm and driving the boat to shore where they allowed Katara to rest...only their journey would continue.

* * *

_(Two Months later/Viridian Forest)_

Ash and Pikachu were on their way back from their journeys in the Hoenn Region. After their encounter with an outworlder like Katara, understanding bending, going to her world and breaking out of the iron grasp of Azula thanks to the bumbling feat of Team Rocket, Ash and his extended group...Ty Lee joined them on their way from Mossdeep City to the Evergrand Tournament...broke for their homes. Believe it or not, Ty Lee switched admiration and interest from Ash to Brock. It left Ash, May and Max unsure about forcing separation, especially since Brock wasn't the one who incited it. Later on, May finished in the Top 8 in the Grand Festival, losing to a snot-shot named Drew. Ash finished in the Top 8 of the Evergrand Tournament, losing to a skilled trainer known as Tyson. Cutting through the Viridian Forest on their way home, Ash and Pikachu stopped by a lake to enjoy a lunch from Brock who left for Pewter City. "So, Pikachu," he opened. "Getting back, should we plan on another journey?" For Pikachu, this wasn't a hard question.

("Come on, Ash,") Pikachu joked. ("We're not stopping until we reach Pokémon Master!") Ash smiled at his partner. He was showing more determination than his human counterpart. Before they realized it, a large yellowish porcupine mole came up and snatched a few sandwiches. Pikachu spotted the creature and called for Ash to turn around. ("Sandslash! It's stealing the food!") Hearing the trouble, Ash spun to see the Sandslash who turned to see them. It rose it's claws but not to attack. Sandslash was friendly.

"Sandslash, what's up?" Sandslash pointed back to the opening where it came from. Looking...nothing there. Sandslash carried the sandwiches back wince it came and allowed Ash and Pikachu to follow. When they entered the clearing, Ash was in for a big surprise. Sandslash handed a sandwich to a familiar tanned female.

"Thanks, Sandslash," she praised. To Ash's astonishment, it was Katara in new threads. Instead of the blue robe she wore when they first met, she was in a blue blouse and jean shorts. Talk about a new side to knowing someone. Eying each other, Katara smiled at her young friend from this world. Realizing the smile, Ash believed that Aang was successful in stopping the Fire Nation. "Hey, Ash!" He totally wasn't expecting a return visit, let alone in his home region.

"Kat! This is unexpected. What brings you here?" Shyly, Katara darted their eyes to the side.

"Oh, nothing better to do. Got a little bored and wanted to get back." Ash's instincts began to kick in, thinking she's fearing some sort of retaliation from hiding something.

"Kat?" Figuring the innocent act wasn't working, she removed the poker face and walked to Ash. Something had to have gone wrong. Reaching out, she clung a hug onto Ash like a mother to her son. To Ash's opinion, Aang broke Katara's heart in some form or another. It was possible that Aang died trying to stop the Fire Nation. It was possible that it was another family member like Sokka or Toph who perished.

"I can't face Aang now!" she blubbered. Okay, she's possibly okaying that Aang's alive. "I...I let my anger get the best of me!" Anger? At a friend or family?

"Kat, calm down. It's okay." What's okay about someone getting so angry that- Hold on... "I won't get upset." Relaxing, the two humans sat down and began to enjoy Brock's sandwiches. "So, did Aang lose?" Katara shook a negative. Aang was victorious.

"It was away from Aang...which may have been a good thing. It involved Azula." It was a member of the Fire Nation? "While Aang was fighting Fire Lord Ozai, Zuko and Azula battled in a fire duel known as Agni Kai. IF you haven't figured it out, Zuko joined our side and helped Aang with fire bending. Anyway, brother and sister fought a rather even match. That's when Azula chose to force Zuko's hand when Azula shot that same lightning bolt at me. That same lightning bolt that she attacked Aang to try and kill him. Zuko stepped in front of me, taking the bolt. Zuko was incapacitated. Azula pulled out a knife, breaking the rule of Agni Kai. I used my bending to freeze Azula but she broke free. I used my bending and didn't look but I launched icicles at her. When I looked again, icicles were embedded in her chest. It was so instant... I mean, I was trying to stop her..." Her memories of what happened began to give her regret. She whimpered so badly that Ash got up and began to comfort her. Ash now knew that Katara did a horrendous thing...but Ash believed it wasn't her fault.

"It's okay. We're here." Icicles skewering through Azula from Katara, the only thing that made sense was that Azula was killed...by Katara's hands. This was something Katara didn't want to be known as: a killer. She did all to stop Azula from killing Zuko, but overexerted and ended the life who tried to murder to rise the ranks.

"After that, there was no way I could wash my hands of the blood tainted from the death! No way I could face Aang and tell him what happened! No way I could tell anyone!" So much to bear... Ash heard the details and wondered how to comfort her. Yet, how does someone comfort another who has taken another's life?

"Kat, look at me once." Katara reduced the tear flow and looked at Ash. "I don't see you as someone who ended someone else's life. I see someone who would do anything to protect those who've done nothing wrong to you. Pokémon are the same way. No matter how harsh they battle, no Pokémon is evil and will kill for anything." That was rather heartwarming to say. That's when Katara opted to drop a major bombshell.

"I don't know if this would make it any easier but when Azula learned about your escape, she executed Team Rocket, the ones she underhandedly convicted them." Ash's heart skipped a beat. Jessie and James were killed by the same person Katara killed. Apparently, Ash had to have noticed that Team Rocket wasn't showing up and trying to take Pikachu.

"That would explain why I haven't seen them lately." He had no clue about Team Rocket's fate. Now, he felt as guilty as Katara. It was his actions of switching with Team Rocket that doomed the group. "And they've helped me at times, too." No wonder he felt bad. In a sense, Katara and Ash felt related in guilt and sorrow. Pikachu and Sandslash were obligated to help Katara and Ash recuperate from the harrowing news. Pikachu was forever free from being a target of Team Rocket but wished there was a different method than death.

("You know, you two,") Pikachu started. ("If Aang understands you, he won't get mad.") He may have a point. If Katara did tell Aang why Azula's dead, he would forgive her.

"I know that but...I don't wanna go back," Katara exhausted. Why not? Didn't she love Aang? "I wanna stay here! Stay with you forever!" Ash was rather amazed that Katara would want to stay in the more futuristic world instead of the world where she was born. "I'm sure Aang will understand why I'm not coming back." Ash wanted to acknowledge Katara's decision. He just had the urge to confront the choice with a consequence.

"Have you really thought this through?" he scorned. "Because I'm worried that you'll regret it soon." Katara believed him. She needed to think this through. Giving up on Aang to be with Ash would be costly in more ways than a little money. Finally, one item weighed the difference.

"We're both...moral fugitives. Team Rocket's dead from your abandonment, Azula's dead from my actions. We're murderers on the run." A link that even Sandslash and Pikachu weren't aware of. Pikachu vocally argued that Ash was no murderer. He could also point out that Katara acted out of vigilance in stopping Azula. It was a bond that seemed to have emerged out of nowhere.

"I see your point." That's when the odd really revealed itself. Ash's arms were glowing. It was blue veil. Katara and the Pokémon saw it, unsure of what to make of it.

("Katy, what's wrong?") Sandslash wondered. Even Sandslash had a shortened name for Katara? Speaking of, Katara undressed Ash's hand and placed one of her's on him. She felt a power that might have rivaled Aang.

"This is it!" she snapped. "This is the same power that I felt with Aang!" Power of the Avatar? "I was right about you! You are the real Avatar I was meant to be with!" Wow...how did she come up with that decision? Popping off the cap, Katara dove onto Ash, locking lips. The glowing hands wrapped around Katara's back...against Ash's will. Leaving the two humans to their settlement, Pikachu and Sandslash got back to the lunch site and proceeded on eating the sandwiches.

("So, how did you and Katara meet?") Pikachu asked.

("She treated my infected foot,") Sandslash answered. So that was the Sandshrew that Katara aided back at the Pokémon Center with Nurse Joy as a witness. ("We met back up and on the way here, I evolved from Sandshrew to who I am right now.")

("That's pretty cool.") Right? Ash and Katara were together, something she would've wanted. As they got up, there was a question that was on his mind in regard to Azula's death.

"I don't know if it's any inconvenience but you think we should tell Ty Lee about this?" Ash wondered. Katara was a little surprised that Ty Lee was brought up.

"Wait!" she hiccuped. "She's here?"

"Yeah, actually dating Brock." Katara was taken aback with the news about one member of the Fire Nation in this world.

"So, that's where she's been this whole time." A few pausing seconds later...

"Nah!" they laughed together. Better to let the bad news go unnoticed. Now it was onto Pallet Town and the rest of their lives full of adventures ahead with Pikachu and Sandslash in tow.

* * *

THE END...


End file.
